The Salsa Dancer
by SoUrPoP1004
Summary: Kinomoto Sakura was an orphan since 10 n was raised under a terrorist group leader to become a top Colombian assasin.Her intentions are clear.To Conquer and Dominate.Even if it means to kill.Confusion strikes when she meets a CIA agent. Li Syaoran.Ch.19
1. Little Girl

SourPop1004: Long time no see. Hehe.well.I'm finally back with TSD. I was seriously thinking about a sequel to The Intern. There's a good chance that it will get a sequel but for now, I want to focus on TSD. And for those of you who don't know what TSD is, it's this story right here. My latest and hopefully the best. The Salsa Dancer. Sorry to all if the summary was crummy. Darn ff.net! The summery boxes have freakin limits on how much you can write.so.it limits my.uh.descriptive summary writing. Haha.anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this story as much as you did The Intern. And I hope I get lots and lots and lots more reviews. hehe.I'm so greedy. Now that being said. On to the story. Enjoy!  
  
PS. I know the CIA thing is in America but there will be some Asian names so don't freak out or anything.  
  
PPS. Ok, the title of this story really has no BIG relation to the story. It's just a minor thing I decided to use. I guess it is kind of important since it's relating to Sakura's home. So I just wanted to clear that up. A scene relating to the title will come in the later chapters. Hehe.  
  
Dedicated to: Mah bestest friend in the world to lives in the Middle of Nowhere.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The Salsa Dancer  
  
By: SourPop1004 (Meeh!)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Come Sakura, it'll be alright. Watch your step." Fujitaka guided his daughter by the hand.  
  
Sakura carefully got out of the little speedboat and stepped onto land while her father tipped the man in dirty jeans and shirt in the boat. The ground was muddy from the gentle waves that washed up onto the shore of the river. Touya had already gotten out with his camping backpack and was studying his surroundings. The land was surrounded by high mountains that blurred into the sky. Green trees and unknown plants filled the mountainsides and the side of the dirt roads. Touya stared at a truck that passed by kicking up dirt from the road as it went. The truck's engine was loud with an irritating gurgling sound escaping from its rusted hood, which covered the front of the car. The back was full of clucking chickens that flapped their wings in an attempt to escape from their prison. With his keen eyes, Touya saw the man in the truck take off his hat and fanned himself as he drove. The man seemed to be eyeing something in the bushes. Touya and Sakura both turned to their father who motioned for them to follow him. They proceeded in following him down the dirt road.  
  
"Where are we going onisan?" 17 year old Touya asked his father.  
  
"Ah, my college and I have decided to meet up in a place not far from here. They say they have made an astounding discovery. You know these kinds of finds can't keep me still." Fujitaka smiled at his son.  
  
Sakura just followed holding hands with Touya. They were on another archaeology excavation. Even though she was only 10, she'd been on millions of these trips with her father. Yet, she found each trip more exciting then the previous. She couldn't even dream that they were coming here for their next trip, Columbia. She just smiled at the thought of her friends and how excited they'd be to hear about her trip to South America. Along the roadside, a sudden mass of men jumped out from behind the bushes. The one with orange bands around their right arm were standing behind trees on the mountain side as they shot at the men with red bands around their arm who fought back. Sakura, Touya, and Fujitaka were caught between a shower of bullets. Fujitaka grabbed Touya and Sakura's hand and tried to get away in the mass confusion, but it was too late. Fujitaka fell to the floor with a soft thud. The blood slowly seeped through his clothes and dripped onto the ground where it mingled with the dirt. Touya fell on his knees next to his father. Touya's tears fell on Fujitaka's back as he hugged his father. He tried to drag his father behind a bush but was brutally shot in his attempt. Touya fell on top of Fujitaka. The red liquid of life, staining his T-shirt. Sakura screamed in horror but it was drowned out by the sounds of the guns and men rapidly speaking in a foreign language. Sakura's tear stained face looked up from the ground when she heard sirens. The men on the field were quickly scattering at the sound of cops. They disappeared without a trace only leaving dead bodies all over the roadside and mountain side. Sakura ran to her brother and father in her muddied jeans shorts. She flung her arms over the bodies and cried ceaselessly. To her surprise, someone picked her up from her waist and was carrying her off into a jeep. The man threw her into the back seat and started up the old rusted green jeep. The man stepped onto the pedal and screeched out of the area, barely making the sharp turn at the corner of the road. Sakura stared out the back of the car. She watched her brother and father fall further and further away from her as the car rode off into the jungle. That was the last time she'd ever see anyone she'd ever loved.  
  
  
  
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There was a loud knock on the glass door. A man with spiked blonde hair in a business suit peered into the room where a man with messy brown hair was lying down on a couch with his left arm over his face. The words Li Syaoran was printed in black on the glass door. Inside, there was a glass desk with a laptop, desk lantern, and a mess of papers. The room was an ordinary office with filing cabinets and a swiveling chair. But what lit up the room was the spectacular view of the sky and the street of Los Angeles bellow from behind the desk and chair. The huge glass window was clear and glossy.  
  
The man with blonde hair walked in and sat down across from where Syaoran was lying down.  
  
"Hey. Wake up Syaoran." The man spoke out to Syaoran.  
  
Syaoran stirred and opened his eyes. He slowly turned towards where the voice was coming.  
  
"Yeah? What do you want Tano?" Syaoran asked groggily.  
  
"The captain wants everyone in the meeting room. Pronto." Tano replied smiling.  
  
Syaoran let out a sigh of exasperation. "Why? Why?" Syaoran asked himself as he pulled himself up.  
  
"Little Syaoran too tired? Need a little nappy?" Tano taunted teasingly.  
  
"Shut up. You know I'm tired as heck. Come on. Let's go before he bites our heads off for being late." Syaoran suggested as he rubbed his eyes and stretched. He grabbed his business suit jacket (I have no idea what it's called) and put it on and adjusted his silver tie. The two walked out of Syaoran's office and closed the door behind them.  
  
Everyone had gathered around the main working room where men and women were busy at work on their computers. The CIA building was a busy place. Always cracking away at new cases in one department, examining evidence in another, and creating handy gadgets in another division. A man in about his late 40s looked up at them from his desk.  
  
"Li, Tano. Good, you're here. Shall we begin?" The man gave a small smile.  
  
"Yeah." Both replied.  
  
Everyone gathered around a huge oval meeting table with 2 dozen chairs surrounding the table.  
  
"So, what are we dealing with today? Drug dealers, mass murders, terrorists?" One man asked sarcastically making the others laugh.  
  
"Just watch this tape we got off a surveillance camera in the grand hotel in New York. This particular party had a lot of important, powerful people. No one was killed but something was taken from Mr. Heteru."  
  
Everyone looked at Yoritomo.  
  
"Yes, THE Heteru. The one that owns Heteru Inc. Mr. Heteru has asked us especially to look in on this. So watch." Yoritomo pressed a remote control and the lights turned down and a screen slowly came down from the ceiling. A projector flashed the tape onto the screen.  
  
++++++  
  
A woman with long blonde hair and blue eyes in a slinky red dress appeared on the screen with a rather large man. He led her down a metal staircase into the entrance to the basement of the hotel.  
  
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"Wow, Heteru's fat!" Tano commented making the others laugh.  
  
++++++  
  
"We can have some privacy now my little dumpling." The fat man chuckled as he took her by her slender waist. The woman giggled and blushed.  
  
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There were various catcalls from the men. Syaoran just watched with amusement in his eyes.  
  
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The woman slowly slipped her pretty little hands into the flap of Heteru's tuxedo jacket. She fumbled for a little bit, but pulled out a laminated card with triumph. She held the card in her hand tightly. She quickly looked up at the man with a smile. His hands started moving down towards her legs.  
  
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"What a horny little bastard." One man commented as he watched Heteru kissing the woman's neck. Everyone laughed again. "Poor girl.about to get laid by that fatso." The same man shook his head in pity. Everyone laughed.  
  
"Just watch." Yoritomo replied with an irritated voice.  
  
++++++  
  
"Please stop." The woman pleaded.  
  
"No." Heteru was muffled by her hair.  
  
"Don't make me hurt you." She replied annoyed.  
  
"Wha-" Before Heteru could finish, the woman kicked up her knee and jammed it into his fat stomach. He fell to the floor clutching his stomach. When he tried to get up again, the woman threw a sidekick and sent the man crashing into the wall. He slid to the floor and lay there unconscious. She flicked open her purse and dropped the card into her red beaded purse and snapped it shut. She glared down at the body and walked over to it. She threw open his jacket and pulled out a handkerchief from one of the inner pockets. She wiped the saliva from her neck in disgust. After satisfied, she threw the white cloth on top of Heteru's body.  
  
"Men.all the same." She sneered.  
  
She turned and started walking up the metal stairs but stopped when she saw the camera at the corner of the entranceway. She turned her head making her long blonde hair swish around. She smiled directly at the camera.  
  
"Come and find me. I'll be waiting." She challenged at the camera in smooth Spanish.  
  
With an evil glint in her blue eyes, she turned back and continued walking up the metal stairs as it clinked with every step she took.  
  
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By the end of the tape, everyone was silent. The lights turned back on and everyone stared at each other blankly.  
  
"Gentlemen, we do not know who this woman is but we know who she's working for, Fang of the Colombian terrorist group, or to many others all over the world, Senior Lobo. We know it's him, but you know the damned law. Innocent until proven guilty." Yoritomo replied breaking the silence.  
  
The room was still dead silent. Syaoran just stared at the image of Sakura on the freeze frame.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
SourPop1004: Sorry guys it's so short. But I promise the after chapters will be longer. This is just the introduction. And also, I'm making this a PG-13 but if you guys feel it's an R, then I'll change it. It's not really an R but who knows. Anyhow, please review. I won't expect too many since the chapter was so short but I hope so. So please review. You know that's what keeps me going. Hehe.I'll see you guys next chapter. And please, leave your e-mail so I could send you a letter when I have an update. Thanks!  
  
PS. If you have any comments, suggestions, and/or questions, please e-mail me at xxgodslight012xx@aol.com. Ja ne! 


	2. Kiss of Freedom

SourPop1004: Hey peoples. Dude! Sorry it took so long. My computer's seriously jacked up. I think this is my 3rd time rewriting chapter 2 of TSD. My computer keeps screwing with my files. Dang. Piss me off.anyway, I hope you enjoy.  
  
PS. Responding to your reviews. Um, to the person that said that your eyes hurt cause the typings are so close, I'm sorry for not changing my format but what helps is that you can make the font larger. If that still hurts you eyes I'll try to fix it next chapter. I need to mess around a bit with the formatting. Anyway, to the person that said I watch ALIAS too much. Ahem.I FREAKIN' LOVE ALIAS! I LOVE MICHAEL VARTAN AND DAVID ANDERS! I THINK JENNIFER GARNERS IS AN AWESOME ACTRESS. DID I MENTION HOW HOT MICHAEL VARTAN IS??? AND HOW HOT DAVID ANDERS IS??? HUH??? HUH??? Hehehe.there. I think that about says a whole lot about my obsession with Alias. Ok, moving on. To the person who said they are half Colombian, that just makes me more embarrassed cause here I am, writing a story sort of based on Colombia and I have no clue how it is over there. My main source of info is the movie Collateral Damage. Haha.but I kind of know what it's like in S. America cause I was born there. (To those who now think I'm Latin American, I'm not. Haha.) Also to the same person, please don't beat me up for my lack of knowledge in Spanish and trying to write a story with Spanish. But I do know simple, simple stuff. I'm taking Spanish classes. Hehe. One of my loyal readers, Athena, has brought up a great point. From now on, whenever you guys see +++ that, that's indicating a flash back or something. I know it's confusing but it's really ff.net that sucks. I put it italicized, the flash backs, then when I transfer my files to ff.net, the whole organized thing is gone! Sigh.anyway, I hope I cleared that up and I'm really sorry for the confusion in chapter 1.  
  
PPS. I forgot to mention this in my last chapter but I watched 007 last week and I have good takes from the movie to insert into my story if I can. You see, I already have everything written till chapter 6 so the updates a bit funky. Anyway, I hope you guys read, enjoy, and give me lots of reviews! Hehe.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The Salsa Dancer  
  
By: Meeh!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakura stirred in her bed as she heard a beeping from across the room. She sleepily got up and draped a large white robe around her tank top and loose pants. She made her way across the hotel room floor towards a small round glass table where a black laptop lay. She pulled out a chair and sat down as she pulled up the screen for her to see. On the screen, there was a picture of a man with black spiked hair with red highlights and dark sunglasses.  
  
"Buenos dias sleepy head." The man smiled at Sakura through the screen.  
  
Sakura adjusted the web cam so it was focused on her. "Josh, lose the shades." Sakura smiled back into the camera. Her eyes were half shut, hiding her beautiful green eyes and her long straight golden hair was in a messy bun.  
  
"Come on chica, it's supposed to make me look cool." Josh replied with a pouty face. (Chica means little girl.)  
  
"Whatever Josh, either way, you look dorky." Sakura giggled, now wide- awake.  
  
"Ha-ha, very funny. Anyway, moving on. So how's the hotel room I got you?"  
  
"Mmm.it's really nice. Very big. Can't believe you got me the sweet, and I don't even have a nice guy to go with it." Sakura laughed.  
  
"Yeah well, I could fly over there right now if you want some company.if you know what I mean." Josh answered smiling with an evil glint in his eyes.  
  
"Lets try.uh NO! Anyway, L.A. is killer during day time. Can't believe people actually want to live here. I wish I could go home." Sakura whined.  
  
"You know you can't. Now yet anyway. You have finish what you went there for, right?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah. At least this mission doesn't include an over weight lunatic trying to get in my pants." Sakura rolled her eyes as she gestured with her hands.  
  
"By the way, nice job in New York."  
  
"Don't remind me, please. So, what's the info.?"  
  
"Let's see, there's a club in downtown Hollywood. The club's in the basement and the rest of the building is a five star hotel. It's off of Main St. (Ok, street names, I don't really care about. I don't really know all the L.A. street names cause I don't like going there. Way too freaky if you ask me.) The second key holder is a man name Antonio Venicci. Very good- looking if you ask me. Here's the profile."  
  
A screen popped up with a picture of an Italian man with slicked back black hair and a very handsome face.  
  
"Josh, I'll try my best to get you his number. You guys will look good together." Sakura laughed as Josh just glared. Sakura closed the profile and looked back at Josh.  
  
"Anyway, he's staying in one of the rooms upstairs. I'll fill you in on all the detail later. Keep your cell on. I'll be calling around 6 to tell you our plan. That freaking hotel has way too many security deals. Obviously lots of important people are there."  
  
"You better call me. You know I don't like going in unprepared." Sakura warned.  
  
"Of course not. Come on, have some faith here, I am your handler after all, aren't I?"  
  
Josh just smiled before signing off the screen.  
  
Sakura smiled and shut the laptop. She got up and made her way to the bathroom where she took a refreshing shower.  
  
  
  
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Syaoran walked into the office as he said good morning to all his co- workers. All the women just stared at him as he walked past them with a lazy smile. He was wearing his usual suit and tie. Across the hall, Tano cam walking towards Syaoran with a coffee cup.  
  
"Hey." Tano greeted happily.  
  
"Hey. Did you hear any word on the Colombian case?" Syaoran asked looking towards Yoritomo's office.  
  
"Don't know but I think we're having a meeting in 5 minutes in the meeting room." The blonde man answered pointing towards the meeting room.  
  
  
  
Everyone was seated around the large oval table. They were all talking amongst themselves. The few young women in the room had their eyes on Syaoran as he talked with the other men seated around him. When Yoritomo entered, the room instantly fell quiet. The lights dimmed as he stepped in front of a large white screen. The projector turned on and a file of the Colombian terrorist group and their operations.  
  
"We have no clue where Fang's men are stationed at but we know what he's after. The card key that was stolen from Mr. Heteru is one of three keys that unlock the first door to the U.S.'s nuclear weapons base. I think we here all can guess what Fang's after. And also, we still have no clue who this woman is."  
  
The room was silent and they were all staring at screen.  
  
"The CIA has gotten word that Mr. Venicci of Venicci Enterprises will be at the five star hotel in downtown Hollywood and we have a feeling that that's where Fang will strike next. So I need a team to keep an eye on Venicci and his room." Yoritomo looked around at the men. "Li, Tano, and Johnson, you'll lead a small team to guard Venicci and his room. You 3, go to Hector's lab and he'll supply with your necessities. Meeting adjourned."  
  
Everyone got up and left the room. The room was empty except for Tano and Syaoran.  
  
"I heard that hotel has a killer club in the basement." Tano replied happily at the thought of meeting a date there.  
  
"Remember, duty. Work, not fun." Syaoran reminded his friend who lost the sparkle in his eyes.  
  
"Yeah, yeah." Tano replied flatly.  
  
"Come on, lets get to Hector's lab." Syaoran suggested.  
  
The two men walked out of the room and headed towards the laboratory.  
  
  
  
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Sakura walked down the busy sidewalk where people ran into each other in an attempt to get to their destination faster. Sakura glared from behind her sunglasses at a woman that had run into her and didn't even bother to say anything. Sakura decided to ignore it and kept on walking. She was pairing a pair of tight jeans, a beige peasant top, and her long golden hair was up in a ponytail. The cool breeze played with Sakura's brown feather earrings, which dangled down to her shoulders. Today, she had decided to play a regular civilian and not disguise herself. She looked around for a place to spend some time. She stopped when she spotted a Starbucks. She walked into the busy room where the servers were busy delivering everyone's orders. She got in the long line and waited with a bored look. She put her glasses away in her purse and looked around the room. Her attention turned towards the glass door where the bell chimed when two tall men walked in wearing business suits. One had tussled brown hair while the other was a bright blonde. She turned her attention back to the server.  
  
"What would you like?" the woman asked smiling even through the chaos.  
  
"I'd like a grande latte with a hint of hazelnut and whip cream please." Sakura replied smiling.  
  
"Is that all for you?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"That'll be $4.15. What's you name?"  
  
"Lisa."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Sakura opened her purse and got out her Gucci wallet. She took out five bucks and handed it to the woman. When she got back her change, she dropped it into the tip cup. Sakura walked away from the counter and waited for her name to be called. She was standing there when a tall man with blonde hair bumped into her. Sakura dropped her purse on the floor. She was about to retrieve it when the man that had bumped into her came up from the ground with her purse.  
  
"I'm sorry." He commented as he handed her purse.  
  
"Oh, not at all." Sakura smiled as she took the bag from him.  
  
"L.A. can be very brutal." Tano commented trying to strike up a conversation.  
  
"Yes, I know. I was nearly bashed to death just for trying to get here." Sakura laughed. 'Can't believe this man's hitting on me. What a fool' She thought to herself.  
  
"So, are you a visitor or do you live here?"  
  
"I'm a visitor. I come from Michigan." She replied with a smile. 'That's what my fake ID says but what the heck. You won't see me ever again so, why bother.' She thought with an ironic smile on her face.  
  
"I see. Well, I live here. I'm currently working with the CIA." Tano replied proudly. Syaoran who was ordering just rolled his eyes at what Tano said.  
  
"Wow.really?" She looked at him again. 'Hmm.maybe he'll have some use.' she thought looking at this man in new light. "You have got to show me around or something. That's fascinating." Sakura exclaimed with excitement.  
  
"Sure, here's my card. Why don't you give me a call and maybe we can get together and I'll show you around. And maybe afterwards some dinner." Tano answered handing her a card.  
  
"That'd be great." Sakura plastered on her million-dollar smile, which any man would have melted into. Sakura needed to get out of there. She didn't want to talk anymore. Luckily, her name was called. She quickly said good bye to Tano and went to get her coffee. With the hot steaming cup, she walked out the door.  
  
Syaoran came over to Tano. "Who was that?"  
  
"That was.Lisa. I think.yeah.they called her Lisa. Isn't she hot?"  
  
Syaoran just laughed. "Come on, lets get going. Our break's going to be over and we don't' want to be late."  
  
  
  
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Sakura was back in her hotel room. She had changed into a pair of comfortable shorts and a tank top. She sat down in front of her laptop and turned it on. The same screen popped up and Josh was there.  
  
"Yo chica! You've called just in time." Josh smiled.  
  
"So what's up. Do we have a plan or what?" Sakura asked.  
  
"Ok, in your bag, there's an ear piece for me to give you instructions once there. But for the over all plan, it's just a smash and grab job and you're free." Josh answered smiling. "You'll first get into the hotel using the club. The hotel lobby on the first floor is too well guarded. Plus, the elevator is connected to the hotel elevator. Venicci won't be your problem since I've got word that he'll be at the club meeting with some of his clients. You'll take the elevator to the last floor. From there, you'll use the stairs to get to the roof. From there, you'll come down the south side of the roof. I'll tell you which window to stop at. You could use the door but there will be guards. Plus, swing down from the roof is more fun." He smiled happily. "Once inside, you'll have a substance scanner. It's the thing that looks like a palm pilot. You'll simply turn it on and it'll detect anything that has a specific element that's on the scanner of the card key. You find it, grab it and go back outside. You'll slide down rest of the building and at the bottom a black car will be waiting for you. Don't' worry, no one will see for 1, it's dark, 2, where the car is waiting is the back of the hotel. Any questions? And by the way, all the tools you'll need are going to be up at he roof. I had a member put it up there."  
  
"No, that sounds good. Oh yeah, today, I met a CIA agent."  
  
Josh gave her a look.  
  
"Don't' worry, he thinks of me as a girl from Michigan. But honestly, Michigan? Why couldn't you say I was from France or something?"  
  
"Michigan was the only thing available. Just be happy you have an ID." Josh chuckled. "Also, I got some word that some CIA agents will be at the hotel to keep an eye on Venicci. So be extra careful." Josh warned concerned.  
  
"All right." Sakura checked her watch and saw it was already 6:30. She turned back to the screen. "Got to go. It's show time. Talk to you in the building." Sakura shut the laptop and got up to get dressed.  
  
  
  
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The three agents and the team were positioned in various parts of the building. They all tested their earpieces and were ready for the night.  
  
Out side the hotel, there was a separate entrance for the club. There were huge lines to get into the club. Lights flashed wildly outside the entrance while everyone were shouting and calling for their friends to get in line. Sakura walked up to the front of the line and whispered something to the man. Everyone glared at her when she was allowed to enter with out getting in line.  
  
Once inside, she pressed her hand over her right ear to block out the noise of the crowd and DJ.  
  
"I'm in. Do we know that guy at the door?" Sakura asked.  
  
"Yeah, he's one of our own." josh replied through his mic.  
  
"Oh, ok, here I go." Sakura answered and started walking towards the elevator.  
  
Guys stared as a beautiful woman with mysterious dark eyes and short black hair walked through the crowd. Sakura was wearing a pair of black leather pants, a black halter-top, which showed her mid section, and a pair of leather lace up boots. She smirked as she saw all of them stare at her. She pressed the round button to call the elevator once there. When the metal doors slid open, she stepped in and pressed the button 40 as it lit up.  
  
She stepped out of the elevator and looked around for people but luckily, there weren't any. She made her way to the stairs as Josh gave directions on where to turn. She flung open the door and ran up the stairs. Once at the roof, she looked around the dark rooftop.  
  
"Now what?" she asked observing the lighted city bellow.  
  
"There's an air vent in the middle of the roof. There's a black case hidden within the vent." Josh instructed.  
  
Sakura jogged towards the vent and removed the metal lid. Inside, there was square leather case. She strapped the case behind her like a backpack and ran towards the edge of the roof.  
  
"Which side do I go down?"  
  
"The one where it over looks 3 tall buildings in a row."  
  
Sakura looked around and found the buildings. She ran towards the ledge and took out a long coil of secure rope and threw it down the side of the hotel. She tied the other end of the rope tightly around the handle of the door that she had come through. She put on 2 metal grabbers on the rope to help her grip the rope without burning her hands. She strapped her belt around her waist and legs, like a seatbelt. She made sure everything was secure.  
  
"Here I go."  
  
Sakura jumped over the edge and was rapidly hurtling down the building. The rush of air lifted her short black hair as it wildly fluttered all around her face.  
  
"Where do I stop?"  
  
"Slow down, Venicci's room's window should be open, you'll see a large vase of roses. I believe that's the only room with roses. He's on the 23rd floor."  
  
"Alright."  
  
She slowed down her fall by lightly gripping the metal grippers.  
  
"Am I on the right row?"  
  
"Yeah, keep going a bit further."  
  
Sakura stopped the fall and stared out into the night.  
  
"Where are you exactly?" Sakura looked around curiously.  
  
"You know better than to ask questions on a mission. But if you must know, the person in the car has a camcorder. She's taping you. I even gave her a special cam that could zoom further than any other camcorders. Now, please go back to what you were doing."  
  
Sakura laughed. "Ok." She released her gripped and hurtled back down through the air.  
  
After a few seconds, Josh responded again. "Stop, that's where you should be."  
  
"Alright." Sakura stopped in front of a large window with the curtains pulled back. Indeed, Josh was right. There was a large vase with roses on a round table. It was strange how she could spot these things even when dark but she figured it came from practice or looking for something in the dark.  
  
Sakura got out a sharp knife and a glove with suction cups from her square case. She placed her left hand onto the window where the suction cups took hold of the glass. With her right hand, she traced a circle all the way around her left hand. When the glass came loose, Sakura pulled her body through the window half way. She took her left hand off the round glass and set it gently down on the carpet. Then she pulled the rest of her body through the hole and stepped in with a light thud. She took off the glove and put the knife and glove into her pack, and pulled out a devise that looked like a palm pilot. She turned it on and it immediately began to scan the room as Sakura held it out. A green light shot out from one end of the devise and was running over all the things in the room. It finally beeped when the beam reached the large vase with the roses. Sakura smiled. She walked over and took out the batch of flowers and set it down on the table. Inside, there was a plastic card. She pulled it out and put it into her pack in a secure pocket. She put back the roses and was about to leave when the lights turned on. Sakura swung around to see a man standing by the door. He was tall and quite good-looking. Sakura looked at him again. He was the same guy form the coffee shop. The fool's friend. He was wearing a pair of faded jeans, a T-shirt and a jacket. He stared at her.  
  
"You're under arrest." He commanded forcefully.  
  
"Where's the suit?" Sakura asked, now turned all the way to face him.  
  
"Put your hands in the air where I can see them and drop the case." Syaoran commanded again ignoring Sakura's comment.  
  
Syaoran watched as Sakura tucked her hair behind her right ear before, raising her hands into the air and dropping the bag she had to the ground. Sakura walked towards Syaoran with her hands still up.  
  
"What' s your name? You're pretty cute for an officer." Sakura tilted her head to the side.  
  
Syaoran pulled out his gun and stopped Sakura from getting any closer by placing the gun to her neck.  
  
"You don't have to know my name. Just remember me as the guy who put you in jail." Syaoran answered coldly.  
  
Sakura looked down at the gun. "I'm not afraid to die. If you think this gun will stop me, you're wrong. How wrong you are." Sakura's eyes narrowed.  
  
In a quick movement, she jumped out of the gun's way and kicked it out of Syaoran's hand. Sakura lowered her hands in a defense mode. She threw a kick at him and he blocked. She gave a punch and he still blocked. This went on for a minute or two until Sakura stopped and stared at Syaroan.  
  
"Are you afraid to hit me or something? You're only blocking." Sakura asked bitterly.  
  
"I don't hit women." He simply replied.  
  
"I see. So if I pointed a gun at you, you wouldn't do anything to hit me?" Sakura asked with a malicious smile.  
  
"I don't have to hit you to take the gun away." Syaoran's gaze was equal to Sakura's.  
  
"I see. Well, I'd love to stay and chat but I gotta get going. I'm a very busy person." Sakura turned around to grab her bag when she felt someone grab her around the waist. Sakura struggled for a minute but couldn't loosen the grip. He was able to put a cuff on one hand but she struggled to not get her other hand cuffed as well. She was now in his arms looking up at him with a smirk. "Stop for a moment. I want to say something before I get away."  
  
"Oh? And what would that be?" Syaoran asked her in amusement.  
  
Sakura looked up into his eyes. She closed hers as she tiptoed to kiss him. He was taken back by her action but slowly, ever so slowly, started to lean in, into the kiss. When Sakura thought his guard was down, she took the hand that was free and grabbed the large vase that was on the table, which was fortunately right next to them and flung towards his head. With a loud crash, the vase shattered on impact. Syaoran's grip instantly loosened and he slid to the floor with a groan. His forehead was lightly bleeding from the scratches the broken pieces created. Sakura stared down at the lifeless body. This was usually when she made her get away but she felt something pull her towards him. She never felt it before but something unknown was pulling her to him. She looked down at him with sad eyes. She walked over to the bathroom and brought back out a hand towel. She crouched down next to him and dabbed the blood away from his forehead. She just stared at him. As her hands stopped the bleeding, she felt a hand over hers. She looked shocked that he might be awake but she saw that he was still knocked out. She removed her hand and towel from his forehead once she was satisfied that he wasn't bleeding anymore. She was about to turn away and leave but something compelled her to look at him. She didn't know what was happening but the only thing she did feel was the urge to kiss him again. She had kissed many men in her life for the completion of her mission but she never felt a pull this strong towards someone. She leaned in over his lips and gently brushed hers over his. How soft they were. She felt like the prince in The Sleeping Beauty who was kissing the princess. When she heard a groan escape his lips, she quickly got up and went out the window, mentally slapping herself for getting anywhere near the man. Before she jumped out the window, her keen eyes caught a glimpse of his left hand that lay lifeless over his stomach. Something silver on his fourth finger glimmered.  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
Syaoran opened his eyes. His blurred vision became clear. He looked around and found it to be some sort of hospital room. He turned when a man jumped up and was leaning over him.  
  
"Tano?" Syaornan asked dazed.  
  
"Yeah, it's me. You ok?" Tano looked over at Syaoran.  
  
"Yeah.I think so.what happened?" last night's events were still a blur to him.  
  
"Well, obviously you had an encounter with someone. When we found you, someone had smashed a vase on your head."  
  
Syaroan's hand immediately went to the back of his head where he felt white bandages wrapped around his head.  
  
"Anyway, the weird thing is, we found a small hand towel near you. We figured that someone had whipped the blood up for you." Tano looked at Syaoran who was zoning out.  
  
Syaoran started to recall the events of last night. The woman, the vase.the lips. Snapping out of his gaze, he turned to Tano.  
  
"Did you catch the person?"  
  
"No, whoever it was, they were way gone by the time we found you. Come on Syaoran, go back to bed. You need rest." Tano tried to push Syaoran back down on the bed but Syaroan slipped out of the white covers and got up with a jelly feeling in his legs.  
  
"No, I need to go to work."  
  
Syaroan soundlessly walked out of the hospital room leaving a confused Tano.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
SourPop1004: Hi there peepoz! Hehe.chapter 2 is finally done. Well, I hope you enjoyed it. It may not be very good.I don't know. I have this feeling that the story is not up to its fullest. So I'll try even harder. I've been so busy lately that my writing's gone all over the place. Anyway, catch you next chapter! R+R! you know I need those to keep me goin'! 


	3. Right At Home

SourPop1004: Hiye peepoz! I'm back with chapter 3! Hoot hoot! Hehe...I have nothing much to say for now. Maybe a long A/N at the end but for now...Enjoy the chapter!  
  
PS. This is my Christmas present to you guys! Love you!!!  
  
  
Merry X-mas!  
  
  
PPS. I know I said a short beginning A/N but just wanted to comment back on some of you guys' reviews.  
  
  
To the ALIAS fans out there. I HERE YA! Da love is definitely in da room. I'm feelin' it...especially in MICHAEL VARTAN. OH YEAH BABY! Haha...ok...moving on now...=)   
  
  
To the reader that gave me a tip about Colombians, NICE! Haha...  
  
  
*This is important news* One person asked me about Tomoyo and Eriol. Well, to make a long explanation short, Tomoyo does end up coming out but I need to plan for Eriol. I need to figure out how to fit him in into the story line. Suggestions VERY WELCOME! (E-mail me at xxgodslight012xx@aol.com.) Tomoyo will come out in the later chapters but unfortunately, she won't have a key role YET! My foreshadowing and planning for the future chapters always do end up changing but I'm thinking of one key role that Tomoyo will play. (Can't tell you details. I'm sworn to a writer's secret organization. Hehe...) Anyway, if you guys are planning on giving me suggestion for my story, I'm going to limit you guys to suggestions on Eriol. It's not cause I'm being mean or anything but it's cause I already have every typed-up up to CHAPTER 7! I know...Whoa! But it's true. Everything's written up to chapter 7. I'm almost done with it. So, I hope you guys don't find that offensive or anything and continue to read, enjoy, and send any comments or suggestions on Eriol. Thanks you guys. See you at the bottom.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The Salsa Dancer  
  
  
By: Me!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakura rolled over on her huge king-size bed. The soft white sheets were tangled wildly around her body as if to choke her. She lazily opened her eyes as she felt a gust of crisp breeze wash into the large room. The tall glass doors to the balcony were open and the light blue curtains flapped gently in the breeze. Sakura pulled all her will power to get up. She slipped into her white fluffy slippers and walked over to the glass doors and shut them tight. The curtains immediately stopped their dance with the wind and settled back down into place. Through the curtains, golden sunrays flooded the large room. Sakura dragged herself back towards the bed. She threw off her slippers and climbed back in under the tangled covers.  
  
  
"Chica, get up." A familiar voice rang through the room.  
  
  
Sakura groaned and turned over to see Josh with his spiked hair and sunglasses. Sakura turn back and reached out her hand to grab something. From the many soft white pillows on the bed, she grabbed one and flung it across the room.  
  
  
"Josh, get out!" Sakura yelled with her eyes still closed.   
  
  
"Don't make me get rough!" Josh warned teasingly.  
  
  
"Yeah...rough..."  
  
  
Josh walked over to Sakura and started to tickle her. Sakura's eyes flew open and she started to laugh hysterically trying to untangle herself from the covers so she could get away. By now, Sakura was wide-awake. Josh just smiled. He made a gun with his hand and pretended to blow the smoke.  
  
  
"If only your enemies knew your weakness..." Josh teased.  
  
  
"Yeah, yeah, get out now. I need to wash up." Sakura tried to push Josh out of the room.  
  
  
"Can't I watch?" Josh pleaded with puppy dog eyes.  
  
  
"Hmm...let me think about it. How bout...NO!" With that she managed to push Josh completely out of the room.  
  
  
Sakura just smiled and went to the bathroom that was connected to her huge room.  
  
  
  
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In the elegant dining room, a man in his 50s sat at the end of a long red wood table. The wood was polished and waxed to the clearest. The man sat in an over stuffed chair. A large sparkling chandelier hung form the ceiling. The morning sunlight played around the crystals causing a brilliant shimmer of rainbows. The man picked up an expensive china teacup and sipped his tea. He was in a red robe and was reading a newspaper. He looked up from his paper when he heard someone come down the stairs.   
Sakura came skipping into the room with a plate full of waffles. She had her long hair tied in a French braid and was wearing her slippers, a pair of gray shorts with white strips going down the side, and a tight white spaghetti strap.   
  
  
"Buenos dias. Sleep well?" The man smiled at Sakura.  
  
  
"I did...but Josh came into the room." Sakura stuffed a piece of waffle into her mouth. She poured some more syrup in the rest of the plate and continued to eat.  
  
  
"Did it go well last night. I heard from Josh that you took longer than expected." The man sipped his tea again before setting it down and giving Sakura his full attention.  
  
  
"Oh, it was nothing. I just had a little trouble finding the key. You did get the card key, right?" Sakura looked at him while she took a sip of her orange juice.   
  
  
"Yes, I did get the key. Nice job. But are you sure that's it?" The man looked at her.  
  
  
"Well, there was a CIA agent in the room. I had to fend him off. That's why it took a while." Sakura replied looking at the man. 'Why was I trying to hide about the agent?' she wondered curiously as she stuck another piece of her waffle into her mouth.  
  
  
"I see. Well, I'm sorry but I must get going. Business in Brazil. I will be back by 7 so I'll see you at dinner, Cereza." The man got up from his seat and petted Sakura's head before walking out of the large dining room. (Cereza means cherry in Spanish. Don't freak out if you don't get what I'm saying cause my Spanish is limited. Haha...)  
  
  
"Adios papito." Sakura smiled and waved good bye without turning around. Just then josh came into the room. He was wearing a pair of baggy black pants and a muscle shirt.   
  
  
"Hey. Since you're free today, what do you wanna do?" Josh asked with a smile.  
  
  
"I don't know. What is there to do?" Sakura was finished with her waffles. She got up and was taking the empty glass cup and the plate to the kitchen. Josh followed her.  
  
  
"Umm...we could book a get away to some beach or something. How bout Hawaii?"  
  
  
"Hmm...I don' t know." Sakura handed her plate and cup to a maid who scurried off towards the sink to wash them. Sakura wandered around the kitchen aimlessly looking for something. She went towards the middle of the gigantic kitchen and sat on top of the island counter and took an apple from a basket and started eating it. (Island counters are those counters in the middle of the kitchen. It not stuck to the wall or anything. And you guys have to get the fact that she's in an incredibly rich home.) "Hawaii?" Sakura looked up at Josh.  
  
  
"Yeah, I mean we do have freedom to your papito's credit card." Josh smiled evilly."  
  
  
"Right..." Sakura just gave him a look. "Well, instead of Hawaii, let's go to a beach in California. It'd be nice." Just then Josh's phone started to ring.  
  
  
He whipped out his silver hand phone and answered it. "Si?" Josh started talking to the other person on the other line in rapid French. After about 2 minutes, he shut his phone and looked at Sakura.  
  
  
"What is it?" Sakura asked looking at Josh.  
  
  
"Here goes your one day vacation, but you do get to go to California. That was Mr. Voljour. Apperently, papito does have something for you to do today."  
  
  
"What? Another mission?" Sakura asked flatly.  
  
  
"Yeah." He replied shortly.  
  
  
"Great. Just great. Anyway, what's up?" Sakura turned towards him to give him her full attention. She sat down on the steps of the massive grand staircase.  
  
  
"Mr. Voljour wants you to do him a little favor. And currently, your father has given his consent. Mr. Voljour wants you to infiltrate the CIA building in L.A. to dig up some files and to destroy them."  
  
  
"That should be easy. I think, right?" Sakura looked up at him.  
  
  
"Yeah. That's Voljour's part. Your dad wants you stay with the CIA for a couple of days and try to get some more files for him."  
  
  
"Oh."  
  
  
"And also, when you find the files Voljour wants, make sure to get another copy for your dad."  
  
  
"I thought we were supposed to destroy them." Sakura paused. "Never mind. So when do I leave?" Sakura knew perfectly well why her 'father' wanted a copy, so he could blackmail. How else could he have become so powerful. The one thing that always made her wonder was why would anyone risk the thought of blackmail to request a job from papito. She figured they all knew what were the consequences of a request to papito, but they did it anyway to get the job done. She concluded that her father was one power everyone wanted on their side. In truth, he never took sides. Everyone else was a mere puppet in his game. In trade of their requests, they were bound to serve him. But she accepted what he did. And the fact that outside of the house, he was known as Senior Lobo (Wolf) to his business clients or Fang to many other black market intelligence. Sakura didn't know why she called this man father but she figured it was because he always had been a father to her. He raised her since ten so naturally, he was seen as a father to her. Many questioned the Hispanic father and the Asian daughter but never said anything out loud for they all knew that they wouldn't have a tongue left when speaking against Senior Lobo. Everyone feared him with a passion.   
  
  
"You leave in 2 hours. Pack up chica, you're going to L.A...again. When you get to the office, you'll be listed under as Laura Teru in the new employee section. Here." Josh handed her a picture of a woman with short blonde hair and glasses.  
  
  
"What's this?"  
  
  
"You're gonna have to look like this. I managed to edit one of your photos. Oh, the wonders of Photo Shop. Those freakin' applications thing over the Internet required a picture. Those overprotective bastards..." Josh smiled.   
  
  
"When did you have time to do all this?"  
  
  
"Chica, you mock me. You know me, always prepared for anything and everything.  
  
  
"All right," Sakura chuckled. "I'll be upstairs packing. Call me when it's time to go." Sakura hopped up and went upstairs where she disappeared into her room.  
  
  
  
  
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Syaoran was in his office with a massive stack of papers he had received earlier that morning. He still felt the throbbing pain at the back of his head. He groaned as he turned on his computer. He had gotten a notice to look over the new employees' files to make sure a background search was performed. Syaoran scrolled page after page of applications. He almost fell asleep by the end when the last one caught his attention. There was a picture of a beautiful woman with short blonde hair that came down to her chin, which was neatly tucked behind her ears. In front of her brown eyes, she wore a pair of square dark maroon-framed glasses that made her look smart and sophisticated. Syaoran sat back in his leather chair as he read her resume.   
  
  
"Laura Teru, 24, Harvard graduate..." He murmured to himself. "Interesting..."   
  
  
Syaoran kept on reading but broke away from the screen when there was a knock on the door. A lady in her mid 50s popped her head in from behind the glass door.  
  
  
" Hon, Yoritomo said the new employees will be here at noon. He wants everyone to welcome them." The old woman smiled.  
  
  
"Thank you Mrs. Riddle." Syaoran mustered a warm smile. The lady just winked and walked away form his office with her gray curls bouncing along form her black pin.  
  
  
  
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Sakura had arrived at her hotel and dropped off her bags. She looked at her watch. Josh had told her she would have to get to the office building by 12. It was 11:25. Sakura dropped her suitcase onto the bed and unclasped the locks. She quickly found her outfit and disappeared into the bathroom. The hotel she was staying in wasn't as nice as the one she had stayed in her last mission but it was close enough.   
When she reappeared, she was wearing a gray turtleneck, a long dark gray skirt that came down between her ankle and knee, and a pair of black leather boots that disappeared under her long skirt. Her hair was a short blonde, she wore a pair of glasses, and she had on two silver chain earrings that hung down barely over her shoulders. She checked her watch before grabbing her purse and walking out the door.   
  
  
  
  
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When she got there, a small group of people were sitting around in the lobby. Sakura walked up to the lady at the counter.  
  
  
"Excuse me, do you where I should go for the new employment meeting?"   
  
  
"Oh, take a seat with the rest, they're all waiting." The woman smiled as she pointed to the group of people Sakura had seen when coming into the building.   
  
  
"Thank you." Sakura smiled and walked over to the people.  
  
  
She found an empty seat and sat down. She looked around. They were all young people who probably had just graduated and were at the start of their journey to survive through life by getting a job as a starter. Sakura smiled at the thought of how inexperienced they all looked. If you were a stranger, you probably would have guessed she was also an inexperienced worker as well. But that was a lie. She was a fully trained agent to act under any situation. She smiled again sadly at the thought.   
Everyone looked up from their nervous state as a man with blonde spiked hair approached them announcing the office was ready for them. The group got up and followed the man to the elevator.  
  
  
  
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Everyone was doing his or her work when the bunch stepped out of the elevator and entered the large office floor. 3 people were standing in the hallway to greet them. Sakura's eyes quickly focused on a tall man with messy brown hair. 'What do you know...the boy looks good in a suit...' Sakura thought with a smirk. She snapped out of her thoughts when the 3 people were introducing themselves.  
  
  
"I'm Garu Yoritomo. I am the director of this department." Everyone shook hands with him.  
  
  
"I'm Syaoran Li. I'm the assistant director. I'll be helping you out throughout this week." He smiled and shook hands. (I put their names: first then last cause we're in the US right now. In Japan, it'd be the other way around but you know...) The women in the group gave huge smiles.   
  
  
"I'm Jessie Parker. I'm just a representative from the office employees. I will be helping anyone in need as well. We all will." The woman smiled. Jessie was pretty. With long wavy dirty blonde hair and a small face, anyone would have liked her. The guys were extremely happy when they all shook hands. When she and Sakura shook hands, she didn't know why but she noticed a diamond ring around her ring finger. Instinctively, her eyes darted towards Syaoran. She didn't know why but she had a feeling this woman and Syaoran were somehow...connected.  
  
  
"Everyone, to the meeting room." Yoritomo instructed as he ushered everyone into a large room.  
  
  
Everyone followed and Sakura was the last one. She watched as Jessie giggled and smiled up at Syaoran as the two walked into the room. She felt something in her heart. A little twitch of annoyance. Could it be? Jealousy? Whatever it was, it would be interesting to play around. The last time she met him, he had no problem kissing her. It would indeed be interesting to play. Sakura entered the room.  
  
  
  
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The meeting had just ended. Sakura gave a silent sigh of relief. How boring it was. They even took a small test to pin point their areas of strength. Sakura identified the different types of questions and answered the ones relating to a computer more effectively. The test was a breeze for her and she would have scored a 100 if it were to be out of a 100, but she focused on working towards a place in the office where they dealt with computers. That way, it would save her the trouble of sneaking around.   
After 10 minutes of just waiting, the small group was broken down further into smaller pairs. Everyone left the room with another employee. Sakura was left alone with another man. He was tall, well built, light brown hair, and a French accent. She eyed him suspiciously as she walked up to him. No one was in the meeting room.  
  
  
"Well, well, what do we have here?" Sakura's lips curled into a smile.  
  
  
"I zon't unzersstand vhat you meeen." The man looked at Sakura with confusion.  
  
  
"Right. We'll see." Sakura spoke in smooth French. The man just stared as Sakura walked past him and left the room.   
  
  
  
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The office was a bustle with greetings and welcomes to the new workers. Sakura continued on with a smile plastered on her face. All through the chaos, she kept an eye on the tall French man named Jack Montane, or at least that was his name for this mission. She knew he knew that she was watching him. He knew perfectly well why.  
When the office had settled down, and the pairs were sorted into different sections of the office, Sakura and Jack were quietly waiting for instructions. Sakura waited and wondered who their helper would be. To her surprise, it was Jessie. Sakura greeted her with a warm smile.  
  
  
"I'll be helping you throughout the week. I'm sure you already know me." Jessie smiled and tilted her head to the side a bit.   
  
  
"Yes. It's a pleasure to meet you, again." Sakura lightly giggled. All through their laughter, Sakura couldn't tear her eyes away from Jessie's hand. The ring. (Hehe...oh...the irony of it all...If you don't get it then...hehe...)  
  
  
Jack proceeded in shaking her hand as well.  
  
  
"I'm Jack. Nice to meet you. I hope to learn a lot from you." The two smiled and shook hands.   
  
  
"Good, well I just want to start out by warning you that for the first few weeks, you won't be doing much. You'll mostly be watching, studying what to do. As you already know, it's an all week work. You'll have classes 4 times a week and every other day, you will be working as an intern. Mail duty, cleaning up, things like that. It won't be glamorous for the first time but I hope you'll take it seriously. And when your training is over, I know you'll feel it was all worth it. You each get an access pass card. There will be areas you may bot enter so please don't try.  
You're first class will be tomorrow. Today, you will do the internship just so you can get to know everyone around the office. All the new workers will have a rotating schedule they do everything you guys are doing. But you don't have to concern about them. Just pay attention to your work and I promise everything will be fine. Any questions?" Jessie looked at the two. "Well, since there aren't any, I'm taking that you all know the basic information, since they were on the application. Good. Right now, you two will report to the mailroom. Have fun, and if you have any questions, just look for me." With that she walked off.  
  
  
Sakura turned to Jack with a smile. "Shall we?" She asked in French.  
  
  
Jack gave her a look. "Vhy do you alvays speek to mee in French? Zo wee know each ozher?" He asked wondering.  
  
  
"Do we?" Sakura looked at him challengingly. "Don't worry, I'm just trying to be friendly. I'm sure you miss your homeland. Just... trying to make you feel...right...at...home." Sakura looked at him with a glitter of malice in her eyes.   
  
  
Jack choked as he listened to her last words. A flood of memories rushed through him.   
  
  
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Sakura's long golden hair swished behind her as she ran down a large hallway with a pile of books in her arms. She turned a corner and before she knew it, she had crashed into a tall dark blonde haired man. (This is not Tano.)  
  
  
"I'm so sorry!" Sakura hurriedly picked up her books.  
  
  
The man kneeled down and helped her. Sakura blushed when his hand brushed hers. The two got up as Sakura thanked him. He smiled down at her.  
  
  
"Coffeee? Vould zyou like to getz zome coffeee vith mee zometime?" The man asked with a French accent, which would have made any girl flutter.  
  
  
"Wha?" Sakura was taken back by the question.  
  
  
"I'm zorry. Zhat vaz zo rood. I'm Jacques. (Jack in English.) Jacque Montour."  
  
  
"I'm Cereza Lobo. And I'd love to." Sakura smiled at Jacque who gave a wide toothy grin.  
  
  
  
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The vision disappeared, before his brain skipped over a few memories to another one.  
  
  
  
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"Oh Jacques, you're so wonderful. I'd love to! I love you!" Sakura shouted with tears streaming down her cheeks as she admired the diamond ring on her ring finger. She jumped up and hugged Jacques as everyone around them in the Italian restaurant clapped and shouted.   
  
  
"I'll make you happy. I love you Cereza. I'll make you feel right at home in my heart." He whispered soothingly in French as he kissed her forehead.  
(I didn't use the accent for this sentence cause it says he said it in French but anyway, when you have a French accent, the H is silent, and you emphasize your E. Like if it were 'feel', you'd say, 'feeel'. You don't drawl or anything it's just their Es are extended. And the Zs, they replace the Ss. Most of the time anyway. And also, the As, you pronounce them with a gagging kind of feel in your throat. Basically, the A is in short sound vowel. Hehe...And as for the Vs, you replace the Ws, but that's more of a German accent but I put it in cause it sounds good. Hehe...)  
  
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Jack stared in disbelief at the woman in front of him.  
  
  
"Remembering something Jack?" Sakura asked with her head tilted and her arms crossed. "Go on, look further in your mind. See what happened in the end." She taunted in perfect French.  
  
  
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Jacques lay in a large bed, a glass of martini in one hand, with someone in his other arm. The woman stirred and pushed back the white sheets that covered her. It wasn't Sakura.  
  
  
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Jack stumbled a step backwards. His vision blurred as his mind fast-forwarded to another scene.  
  
  
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Sakura was crying uncontrollably. She looked at Jacques with furious emerald eyes.   
  
  
"I hate you, you lying bastard!" Sakura ripped off the ring from her finger and threw it as hard as she could at his face. He stood there with a worried face trying to explain to her but Sakura wouldn't listen. "How could you do this to me? I loved you! Didn't you love me?" Sakura screamed at him as her tears fell to the ground.   
  
  
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By the time the flashback ended, Sakura was circling Jack, who stood in the middle of the room.  
  
  
"You should thank me you're still alive. Father would have taken care of you just like that." Sakura snapped her fingers. "If it weren't for me who mistakenly pleaded him not to do anything drastic." Sakura gave a sad smile. "How foolish I was, now that I realize."  
  
  
Jack's eyes followed her every move. He flinched when he felt her fingertips tracing down his jaw line. Mustering up all the courage he had, he asked.  
  
  
"Why are you under a false name? Or was Cereza a false name?" He asked in French.  
  
  
"Why am I under a false name? I could ask you the same thing? But I won't because I know what you do. I know who you work for. I know. I'm not the same girl you'll ever push around ever again. You have no idea what you have just done by showing up here." Sakura's tone dropped a considerable amount. "I would watch myself if I were you. You may not be as lucky as you were 6 years ago. Remember that." Sakura warned with a low hiss. She gave him an icy smile before walking away towards the mailroom. Her silver watch flickered under the office light as she walked off.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
SouPop1004: Hihi! Ok, now I have a couple of things to say:  
  
First off: OMGOODNESS! I AM SO EXCITED! I have gotten new recruiters! Oh yeah! Hehe...well, to those new to SourPop1004's Domain, welcome. =) I hope all you guys (new and old) will enjoy my stories! Go and read Snow and The Intern if you guys haven't and remember to REVIEW! Hehe...so happy...Anyway, more news below.  
  
1) Sorry the chapter was kind of short.  
2) I'll list all the important characters so far and their, gender, age, work, and things like that cause I have realized how confusing this story could be. Just like a drama or something. Hehe...   
3) If you don't get part of the story line so far, e-mail me at xxgodslight012xx@aol.com.   
4) If you don't get the accents, you can e-mail me. hehe...   
5) I would write in French except there's this little problem. I DON'T KNOW FRENCH except a couple of words...hehe...  
6) This is the important information. As you read this story, pay attention to little details that you think might have some significant holdings. Ok? Cause well, I'm just that kind of sneaky tweeky person. Hehe...  
  
Ok, here is the list so far. There probably might be more later as the story goes on. I think this list will be very helpful. I would keep it saved somewhere or something cause more will be added on to the list.  
  
  
Name/Other name (age) Working for/their job or any other side note about them  
  
Sakura Kinomoto / Cereza Lobo (24) Fang/agent  
  
Syaoran Li (27) CIA/agent/assistant director of department/engaged to another CIA officer  
  
Tano (27) CIA/office worker/agent  
  
Jessie Parker (27) CIA/office worker/engaged to another CIA officer  
  
Josh (25) Fang/Sakura's handler  
  
Jacques Montour/Jack Montane (25) Unknown(yet)/past relationship with Sakura  
  
Senior Lobo/Fang (56) Himself/President of an international company/respected and feared.  
  
Yoritomo (54) CIA/director  
  
Mr. Voljour (He's not THAT important)  
  
  
I hope that helped you guys out a bit. Hehe...well, I'll be signing off. I hope you guys review lots and lots. R+R! See you next chapter!!!  
  
PPS. Sorry for the late update. I was supposed to update on the 24 but ff.net had some problems with their AOL users. Sorry for the inconvenience. Thnx for hanging in there. 


	4. Dance

SourPop1004: Hey yo! I'm here with chapter 4! I'll say this in advance. I write longer a/n at the end cause that's usually when I have more things to say and/or have things to explain. So, all I'll say is, enjoy the chapter.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The Salsa Dancer  
  
By: Meeh!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The mailroom was a medium sized room with the walls lined up with metal carts full of letters. She stood in the middle of the room and looked around. She was getting confused on where to start when there was a knock behind her. She spun around to see Syaoran leaning against the doorway. He smiled.  
  
"May I be of any service?"  
  
"Actually, yes. I have no idea where to start." Sakura smiled at him, flashing her perfect white teeth.  
  
Syaoran walked down the row of carts.  
  
"Well, the carts have labels. On the floor you're working on, which is this one, the floor is divided into different sections. The research section is the cart with the 'Research' labeled." Syaoran looked at her.  
  
Sakura nodded. "Ooh, I get it. Well, that was easy enough. Thanks, that helped a worldly lot." Sakura smiled.  
  
"No problem. I'm assuming you have everything under control. I mean, delivering mail is such a crucial part of the day." Syaoran grinned when he saw Sakura laugh.  
  
"Right. I'll do my job with a pride."  
  
Syaoran laughed. He waved his hand and walked out of the room. Sakura stood there with a smile. 'Interesting.' she thought. She turned to the carts and read all the labels.  
  
Jessie looked up from her files and looked towards the mailroom. 'Hmm.' she thought.  
  
Sakura turned again towards the door when Jack entered. He kept his distance. Sakura spoke without looking at him.  
  
"They're labeled." With that, she flew past him, taking a cart and wheeling it out of the room.  
  
  
  
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Sakura smiled and greeted everyone that passed her way. She found that the cart that she had taken the cart labeled 'Director'. She figured from all the letters that she had handed out that the 'Director' section of the floor was all the important people, or at least the section where the people had a bit or importance in the CIA. She was almost done when she looked down and found the few letters were for Syaoran. (Can you see the relation to The Intern. Hehe.) She kept walking but stopped when she heard something in her ear. Not knowing what it was, she quickly parked the car against the wall and walked over to a secluded part of the floor.  
  
"Hello?" She whispered into thin air. "Who is this?"  
  
"Who do you think chica?"  
  
"Josh?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
"How'd you contact me. I don't remember putting on an ear piece." Sakura asked.  
  
"Oh. Well, I decided to play sneaky and stuck a micro communicator on your right earring." Sakura could imagine the sly smile on his face right now. "I must add, incredible speech in the meeting room. Who would have thought that ass would be here as well?"  
  
"Don't kid yourself. I know you knew. You had the list of new employees. You would have noticed him a mile away. No one, other than myself, hated him as much." Sakura smiled.  
  
"Well, even if I knew, it was an awesome speech in there. Very. mysterious, yet forward."  
  
"Thank you, now I need to go back to work."  
  
"Right. Well, just wanted to drop by and remind you that I'm still here. And one more thing. Who's the dude in the mailroom? I felt something going on between you two. If you know what I mean." Josh gave a hint.  
  
"That was Li Syaoran, and nothing was happening. Now good bye." Sakura concluded with a slight blush on her cheeks and walked towards the cart.  
  
"You do realize I can bug you all day."  
  
"I bet you're feeling smug right about now, but if you do keep bugging me, I promise you, when I get home tonight, I'm coming after you. And you know I can put a mean hurt on you." Sakura warned. "Oh, that reminds me. I need a quick plane to fly home for dinner. I promised daddy."  
  
"All right. At 6:30, go to the roof of the CIA building. We'll send a chopper. A small one."  
  
"Won't people notice?" Sakura asked with an eyebrow raised.  
  
"No. Latest design. Really small and really fast. Don't worry, Joshman got you covered chica."  
  
"All right. I'll see you later." With that she heard the little click telling her that he was gone.  
  
She walked towards Syaoran's office. Before she walked in, she knocked on the glass door. Sakura saw Syaoran wave his hand telling her to come in. Sakura smiled and entered.  
  
"Mail?"  
  
"Set it on my desk. Thank you." Syaoran smiled.  
  
Sakura walked over to Syaoran's clean neat desk and set the small stack of letters on the table.  
  
"Can I ask you something?" Sakura took a shot. "Does the CIA do anything else than what you guys are doing right now?"  
  
Syaoran looked up at her. "I don't understand what you mean?" Syaoran knew perfectly what she meant. The CIA had an underground base with all sorts of missions going on, from covering the black market sales to hunting down international assassins.  
  
"Well, it's alright. I was just curious. You know all those TV shows. Gets ideas into everyone's heads." Sakura shrugged with a smile. She tucked her blonde hair behind her right ear.  
  
Syaoran smiled back as she walked towards the door. He watched her with a suspicious look. Soon as she was out the door, Syaoran turned to his computer and opened a window. He typed in 'Teru, Laura'. A screen popped up. He scanned through the file. After a few minutes, not finding anything, he shut the file and sat back in his large leather chair. He closed his eyes and wandered through his mind. Not finding anything, he gave a sigh and concluded that he was being way too suspicious.  
  
  
  
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Sakura checked her watch, it was 6:00. She gave a small smile as she got into the elevator with her purse by her side. Everyone was leaving work except the few that had extra work to do. To her relief, no one was in the elevator. She took the elevator to the way top. To her dismay, you needed a key to be able to take the elevator to the roof. So she got off the floor before and decided to walk. From behind a corner, she looked around for cameras.  
  
"Josh, you there?" Sakura whispered into the dark.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I need camera clearance."  
  
"Got it. On the count of three, run to the door, the security will have been momentarily disconnected. I'm going to give the building a blackout."  
  
"Ok."  
  
"One, two.THREE!"  
  
Sakura quickly moved to the door. She grabbed the edge of her sweater and covered her hand with it. She turned the knob of the door and was soon outside in the crashing wind. She let go of the sweater and smoothed it out to prevent any wrinkles. (You people get why she did that, right? Fingerprints.) She looked up to see a small black helicopter flying overhead. He skirt fluttered under the intense wind.  
  
"Hurry and get in. The blackout's going to be gone in, 10, 9, 8, 7."  
  
Sakura hopped into the chopper as soon as it barely touched the ground. Soon as the pilot saw her in, he quickly ascended into the air.  
  
"I'm up, Josh."  
  
"Great. I'll see you at home. I think Rosa's making chicken fajitas. Hurry, I'm hungry."  
  
  
  
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Syaoran looked towards the ceiling for some reason. He shrugged and went back to work.  
  
  
  
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The large dining room was lit by the gentle glow of the chandelier. Sakura sat at one end of the long table. She quietly ate as she looked down the long table at her dad. Josh was seated in the middle looking at the two.  
  
"So, Cereza, how is your undercover work." Fang took a bite of his chicken.  
  
"Oh, it's going well. Soon as I have all the basic info on the computer security of the CIA, I'll be able to get a copied disc of all the files in the CIA building. And I'm sure josh can solve all the codes on classified items."  
  
Fang nodded in agreement. Sakura and Fang stared at Josh who was busy stuffing chicken into his mouth. "Anyway, how long do you plan on staying with the CIA?"  
  
Sakura thought about it for a second. "I don't know. How long should I stay? I really don't care."  
  
Josh broke into the conversation with his mouth still stuffed.  
  
"You need to be there for a couple of days. I need to figure out a way for you to access into the main computer room."  
  
"Oh, alright."  
  
"I see that both of you have everything as planned. I know I can count on you. Good luck. I must get going. I have a late flight to Tahiti. See you soon Cereza."  
  
Fang got up and walked out of the room just before he planted a kiss on Sakura's forehead. Sakura smiled.  
  
  
  
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Syaoran sat in his living room quietly with the lights dimmed. He rested on his sofa with his eyes closed. Just then the phone rang.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hey you." As woman's voice was heard on the other line.  
  
"Hey." Syaoran gave a weak smile.  
  
"You ok? You sound tired."  
  
"I'm fine. You want to come over and give me company?"  
  
"I thought you'd never ask. I'll be there in 5 minutes." Jessie hung up the phone.  
  
Syaoran placed the phone back on its holder and sat back down on his couch.  
  
  
  
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Sakura was back in her hotel room. She sat outside in the balcony and stared into the dark sparkling sky. The wind blew at her sort hair. 'What to do.' She thought. Not sure on what to do, she decided to walk around in the lobby downstairs. She put on her flip-flops, a pair of jeans, and a light blue shirt. She locked the door and walked down the hallway to the elevator.  
  
  
  
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Syaoran opened the door to find Jessie standing there in a sparkling black dress that was cut low. She walked in.  
  
"This isn't one of those seduction games, right?" He joked.  
  
"No you goof! You said you were bored. So I took the liberty of giving you a night out."  
  
"What?" Syaoran was confused.  
  
"There's a new salsa club downtown. Come on, it'll be fun."  
  
"Jess, I don't think either of us know how to salsa."  
  
"So? It's ok, let's just go for the bar and we can watch." Jessie pleaded. "Please?" She put on her cute face.  
  
"All right. Wait up, I'll be right back." Syaoran ran upstairs to change.  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
Wandering around in the clean bright lobby where there were lots of potted plants, she walked over to a small group of people that were sitting around in the waiting area.  
  
"Let's go tonight. The new club's downtown. It'll be cool." One guy said to his group of friends.  
  
"But, Dan, none of us know how to salsa. It'll be a total blow." One girl whined.  
  
Sakura smiled at what she heard and interrupted the group.  
  
"Excuse me, I'm sorry to interrupt but where is this club that you're talking about?" Sakura smiled at them.  
  
The guys in the group gave a goofy smile. Ignoring them, one girl spoke up.  
  
"It's downtown LA, between Baker Boulevard and Westings Rd."  
  
"Thanks. Good night." Sakura walked away towards the elevators. 'Finally.something interesting.' She thought.  
  
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Sakura had changed and was looking over herself in the bathroom mirror. She had changed her hair again. It was raven black, just like how it was the last club she went t, except this time it was longer. She had pinned up her long raven hair with a black clip with a few strands of hair falling naturally around her from random places of her head. From her ears, two black crystal earrings dangled down to just above her shoulders. She was in a glittery chiffon red dress with intricate black beaded work that clung to her body. Spaghetti straps held up the short dress that, at one side, was cut halfway down her thigh and as it moved to the other side, it made a diagonal angle. The back was bare and the end of the dress was wavy, almost ruffled. She stepped out of the bathroom in her black high-heeled strap-sandals and headed towards the door with her bag.  
  
  
  
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Because of the first night, the place was booming with people, noise, music, and laughter. Sakura had parked her black Jaguar in the packed parking lot. She had rented a car since she was going to be staying in LA for more than a day or two so she figured might as well get a good car. Unlike last time, Sakura had to actually wait in line to get in but she didn't mind. It was part of the experience and plus, last time was no fun. Not much dancing was included because of her mission.  
  
Syaoran and Jessie had barely made it into a parking space. The two walked towards the long line.  
  
"Wow! That is one long line." Jessie leaned over to the side to see how long the line was.  
  
  
  
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After waiting for almost an hour, Sakura was finally in. 'Sheesh.' she thought bitterly. All her anger swept away as she stepped into the club and felt the beat of the drums and maracas. 'Home.' she thought.  
  
  
  
Syaoran and Jessie entered the dimmed club. Off to the stage area, people in various dresses and outfits were dancing under the flashing lights. To the opposite side, there was a long counter with a mass of people leaning against the counter asking for their drink orders. Jessie and Syaoran walked over to the bar and sat down on two high chairs. They ordered their drinks and were talking to watch other as the two observed the crowd.  
  
  
  
Sakura was at the other end of the bar and was talking to a man behind the counter.  
  
"Ernesto! I didn't know you were starting a club here in LA."  
  
The man squinted and looked closer at Sakura. "Cereza? Is that you?"  
  
"Si." Sakura smiled.  
  
"Did your papito send you on another mission?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I figured. Well, I'm glad you're here."  
  
Sakura smiled. Ernesto was her salsa teacher back in Colombia but he left a month or two ago to start his own place. He, of course, knew everything about her father. They were best friends. If there was one person other than Sakura that Senior Lobo trusted more was Ernesto. Sakura figured Ernesto was sent away to keep an eye on the black market trades in his area.  
  
"So, is the teacher feeling a bit, salsa?" Sakura smiled broadly.  
  
"Well, if you insist. Let's see how much I have taught you. Think of this as a final test." Ernesto came around the bar and offered his hand to Sakura. Sakura smiled and took it and he led her towards the dancing floor.  
  
  
  
Everyone that was on the floor cleared to the side as the owner of the club made his way through the crowd with a beautiful woman by his side. Everyone clapped once they were at the center of the stage. Jessie got up and pulled at Syaoran's dark gray dress shirt by the sleeve.  
  
"Come on. I think that's the owner of this place with someone."  
  
"All right. Wait." Syaoran hastily put down his martini glass on the counter and followed, more like dragged by, Jessie to the crowd of people.  
  
  
  
The music started with the powerful beat of the bongo drums, then joined in by the maracas. (I have no freakin clue how salsa songs are. Hehe.) When the rest of the band crashed into the up beat melody, Sakura started moving across the floor around Ernesto. As if on cue with the beat, Ernesto sprang to life and countered Sakura's moves.  
  
Jessie and everyone marveled at the two's complex moves. Syaoran was enjoying the show but soon his eyes narrowed as he observed the woman in red. He watched her with hawk eyes as her lithe figure moved across the floor, accenting every step. Something about her seemed familiar.  
  
In between a split second, Sakura tucked her hair behind her right ear trying to get it out of her face, but it all was done in one swift motion as she spun around.  
  
Syaoran's mind clicked.  
  
Sakura was now arm in arm with Ernesto when she noticed Syaoran in the crowd with Jessie. 'Shoot! He'll notice me!' Sakura thought panicked. As she and Ernesto danced, she leaned in towards his ear.  
  
"CIA agent in the crowd. I need to get out." Sakura whispered.  
  
"Living on the edge Cereza." Sakura could feel the man smile against her cheek. Sakura smiled. "When the song ends, get off the stage by following the far right wall. On the counter, just before you go out the back door, I'll set a deflector spray. You brought a car, right?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Ok, the song's going to end soon."  
  
  
  
Syaoran was starting to make his way through the crowd as the song slowed down. When the song did end, the crowd burst into applause. Sakura quickly left the stage towards the right and Ernesto gave a deep bow.  
  
"Thank you, thank you. Come on, let's have fun!" He invited the cheering crowd.  
  
Soon as the crowd spread like a spilling liquid, Syaoran was momentarily trapped. Ernesto fell out of sight as he made his way tot he counter.  
  
When Sakura quickly walked towards the counter, she grabbed the can in one swift move and rounded the corner towards the back entrance.  
  
Catching his breath form the surprise burst of the crowds, Syaoran saw Sakura at the back. He figured what Sakura would try and ran out for the club through the front doors and made his way to the parking lot.  
  
Sakura walked over to her black convertible jaguar. She sprayed the front and back license plate and fast as she could and got into her car, slamming the door shut. The sprays deflected anytime of light flashed at it to take a picture of the license plate. It also gave it an extra filmy gloss look to prevent from others looking at it. She put in her key and turned on the engine. She pulled the reverse gear and back out of her spot in a screech. She madly turned the steering wheel and soon enough, she was facing the exit of the lot. Sakura pulled the gear again and stepped on the gas and her car shot forward. As she made it out of the parking lot, she heard a car coming up behind her. It was a silver BMW. She flew down the street as the silver car was at her tail. She swerved the corner, leaving a trail of crushed cars.  
  
Syaoran drove after Sakura. He dangerously made sharp turns trying to avoid the mess of cars. There were lots of loud honking and beeping. He pulled out his cell as he drove with precision. He pressed a speed dial number.  
  
"Tano! Get a squad right now! I'm following her right now. I'm on Main and Fourth Street. You can trace my phone through radar. I'll leave it on." Syaoran yelled directions into the phone.  
  
"Got it. They'll be there in 5." Tano replied. Tano could be heard dialing a number on another phone.  
  
Syaoran focused back onto the road. The black Jaguar was right in front of him.  
  
Sakura looked back as she drove, her long black hair now loose and fluttering around her face. She turned back trying to think up a plan. She opened compartment in front of the passenger seat and took out a black metallic object. She held it tight in her left hand as she drove with the other. Seeing the road up ahead was clear, she swerved the car into a full circle so she was facing Syaoran. She watched Syaoran hit the breaks, stopping inches away from her. Sakura grabbed at the gear and put it into reverse. She adjusted the mirror before stepping on the gas and shooting backwards. She raised her left arm and shot at Syaoran's car. She aimed for the tires. Syaoran swerved and jerked the car in an attempt to dodge the shots. On her 4th shot, it hit the right tire and Syaoran's car broke out into an uncontrollable spin. When he did manage to stop the car, Sakura's black jaguar was far-gone. He slammed his hands down onto the steering wheel in frustration. He looked up to see a group of cars flying down the road with flashing red and blue lights. 'Too late.' he thought bitterly.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
SourPop1004: Hi! Finally, I hope you understand the relation with the title and this chapter. Actually.there really isn't an exact one but it kind of relates. Hehe.anyway, this chapter took a while since I rewrote it and I was having trouble thinking of how the chapter should progress. Anyway, I hope you like this story so far. I think the chapter is shorter compared to The Intern but I think it's still pretty good. You know REVIEWS are very, very welcome. I must say this again but please leave your e-mail address when you review so I can send you a line and give you some info when I update. =)  
  
I'm going to take some time and sort of give you a feed back on your wonderful reviews. Umm.first off, I just want to say that I have no clue how to squeeze Eriol into this. And I don't know if Tomoyo will have a big part. I can say she does come out but she doesn't have a big part yet. I mean, I'm already writing the start of chapter 9 right now and I have a feeling it's going to end at chapter 10. But you see, I'm going to have to take a vote. From where I'm writing right now (won't say anything cause it gives the plot away.haha.), if I decide to do something in the story, the number of chapters will increase. But if I decide not to do it, I'll probably say the story will end at chapter 10. What do you guys think? Do you want this story to be longer? Just simply say a yes or no voicing your opinion in your review and I'll be forever grateful.  
  
Secondly, I'm just going to say it head right. Up to the end of chapter 8 (where I'm at) I don't see any significant points where there's S+S. Like I said before, this time, I'm going to make the development slow. (Kinda) Cause I hate it when they rush everything. I felt like I rushed the romance in The Intern so I'm going to take advantage of this story and play it out the way I want it to be. So if there isn't much S+S, please hang in there. But I DEFINITELY do promise action and crazy twists. I guess that's all I have to say for now. If you have ANY ideas on how to get S+S together, please e-mail me.  
  
Thirdly, someone suggested Sakura kill Syaoran, well, I thought of that but I'm not sure. It's definitely a possibility but I'm still thinking on that. Lately, I've been thinking of an ending for TSD. I already had an image at the beginning of this story but as the story plot line changed dramatically, I can't find a way to fit my ending. Hehe.anyway, keep reading and I know I'll think of a way to surprise you all.  
  
Fourth(ly?), someone said for me to lay off the different languages. Well, I didn't use any German or French, and I used really little of Spanish. So sorry if you had any confusions with the different accents, but everyone else seemed to be getting it. So if you got questions, you know where to find me.  
  
Anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing. Love you peoples. See you next chapter.  
  
Comments and suggestion are welcome. Please contact me at xxgodslight012xx@aol.com. 


	5. To Discover Confusion

SourPop1004: Heyo readers. I'm back with chapter 5. I'm thinking of ending this story on chapter 10 but I have this feeling that it's going to go on longer than that cause the story line's getting more complicating. Anyway, complicating or not, I hope you guys read review and enjoy this chapter. See you at the bottom. =)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The Salsa Dancer  
  
By: Meeh!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakura was sitting on the hotel couch sipping a cup of coffee. She rubbed her forehead. 'Ugh.my head.' She thought. Last night was not supposed to happen. She hated it when unsuspected things happened. She rubbed her forehead again at the thought of a ride to work. After her get away, she had returned the car, after thoroughly cleaning it, to the car rental shop. She had come home to change her identity again because she had rented the car as another person so if by any chance the CIA checked up on the car, they wouldn't be suspicious of Laura Teru. She had returned home late after returning the car. Sakura sighed as she looked at the watch on the glass coffee table. It was almost time to go to work. She got up from her seat and headed towards the bathroom in her bathrobe.  
  
  
  
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She stepped out of the elevator and was greeted by two other employees. She walked towards Yoritomo's office for today she was going to be assigned to her classes. On her way, she smiled, hiding the tiredness in her eyes. She tucked her hair back and pushed up her glasses before entering Yoritomo's office.  
  
Inside, Jessie was standing next to Yoritomo's desk. He eyes narrowed when they found Jack sitting down in one of the two empty chairs. She wanted to die rather than sit next to him but she had no choice.  
  
"Miss Teru, good morning. Please, have a seat." Yoritomo smiled and so did Jessie. "You both are here on information on your classes. The CIA's computer system is very complex and more complicating than usual computers so Jessie here will be teaching you. She is head of the security, CIA server division. I know you two will do well. Class starts as soon as this meeting ends."  
  
  
  
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Jack had already followed Jessie towards the computer room. Sakura lagged behind. She looked both-ways before adjusting her right earring piece. It was a large silver hoop. She was clad in a black business suit with a pair of black heels. She tucked back a loose strand of golden hair.  
  
"Josh, you there?" Sakura whispered.  
  
"Yup." Josh replied with a cheery tone.  
  
"You ready, I'm about to go into the computer room."  
  
"Yeah, get going."  
  
  
  
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It was 2 hours later when Jessie, Jack, and Sakura came out. Jack quickly disappeared while Jessie excused herself and went to her office for some business. Sakura went towards the lady's restroom and entered. She checked under the stalls for anyone before turning on her earring.  
  
"Josh?" Sakura asked.  
  
"Yeah, chica? I heard everything. From what I have gathered so far, these CIA people ain't so secure in their computer system."  
  
"Are you sure you know everything you need to know, I mean, they could have some extra protection firewall or something."  
  
"In that case, I'll be extra careful. The plan should be finished by tomorrow. Once I crack down the system program by program, everything will be ready for you to take care of. I guess that's it. Can you handle it?" Josh finished.  
  
Sakura looked into the mirror and smiled. "Have I ever mishandled anything?" With that she walked out of the restroom with her earring piece off. She headed towards the mailroom with a sigh.  
  
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It was after lunch. She quietly sat in front of her new desk. She and Jack had been given their rooms. It wasn't all that fancy of a room, it wasn't even a room. It was just a small quarter partitioned out by portable walls. She sat mindless in front of her computer and transferred some files Jessie had told her to do. She groaned and kept on working. She turned around when she heard someone. It was a woman in a white sweater with dark gray pants. Her long dark hair was clipped up with a pin. Her eyes were a piercing gray. The woman looked around Sakura's age.  
  
"Hi. May I help you?" Sakura looked up.  
  
"Yes." She began. Already by the tone, Sakura didn't like what was coming. "During lunch break, I was forced to sit in the table at the corner." The woman coldly stared down at Sakura. Sakura was silent. "And only NEW employees sit there. And I'm NOT a new employee. So I'd appreciate it if you sat in your right table and not take 'my' seat. People don't like it when new comers invade their privacy." The woman finished with a glitter or hatred in her eyes. She was about to turn away and leave when Sakura broke in.  
  
"I'm sorry, but does it really matter where I sit? No one at the table seemed to mind." Sakura held in her fury. Oh, how much she wanted to beat the crap out of this woman.  
  
"Well, that already tells you how much of a new comer you are. Don't question the way things are. You sit in your table and I'll be in mine." The woman had a major attitude problem.  
  
"Is that one of those unwritten laws? Don't you think you should be over this whole high school drama by no?" Sakura's anger was slowly rising.  
  
"Hey, don't tell me I have an attitude. Just sit where you're supposed to and maybe I won't get you fired." The woman's voice was rising. By now, half the people in the room were staring.  
  
"Is that a threat?" Sakura's voice was rising as well but it was calm.  
  
"So what if it is?" The woman shot back with her face slightly red.  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
Not so far from the confrontation, Syaoran looked up from his file that Tano had handed him.  
  
"What's all this noise?" Syaoran asked.  
  
"I think someone's fighting?" Tano replied enthusiastically.  
  
The two rushed over to where the noise was coming from.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I don't appreciate being threatened." Sakura warned loudly yet calmly.  
  
"You can't do anything about it." The woman shot back with an evil glare.  
  
'You wanna bet you bitch?' Sakura thought in her head. The motion to punch the lights out of her kept playing over and over in her head but she knew she couldn't do it in front of everyone.  
  
"Why are you so quiet? My words finally sinking in into that thick head of yours?" The woman laughed.  
  
Sakura momentarily closed her eyes and opened them again in an attempt to quell her anger. She then looked back at the woman and smiled.  
  
"Well, I had a lovely time talking to you. If you'll excuse me, I have work to do. Good bye." Sakura curtly replied and turned to her desk and sat down. 'I'll make sure to kick your ass later.' She mentally noted as her 'Things to do first'.  
  
When the woman was about to burst out, Syaoran came up behind her.  
  
"Is something the matter?" Syaoran asked looking from Sakura to the woman.  
  
The woman put on a smile and turned to Syaoran and fluttered her lashes. "Of course not. I was just giving some helpful tips."  
  
Syaoran turned to Sakura who looked back up at him. "Yes, she was just helping me with some of my work." Sakura gave a small smile.  
  
"Alright, well keep it down." Syaoran warned and walked away with Tano behind him.  
  
The woman turned to Sakura, stuck up her nose, and walked away. Soon as everything calmed down, everyone scattered and went back to their own thing. Sakura just sighed and turned to her computer. Soon all this would be over.  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
Sakura lay in her bed and stared at the ceiling with a blank stare. She closed her eyes and searched her mind for random thoughts. A scene of Sakura kissing Syaoran flashed across her. She quickly opened her eyes. 'What the heck was that?' She asked herself as if she were delirious. 'This can't be right.' she thought.  
  
  
  
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Syaoran was in his office; it was late. He leaned forward and rested on his propped hands. He closed his eyes to relax. A picture of Sakura and her kiss played in his head. He could remember her kissing him. He knew the kiss was nothing but artificial air but something about it made him respond. (There will be no horniness in this story. Haha.) He knew there was something to that kiss. Nothing noticeable but something. He snapped out of his thought in an abrupt halt. What was he thinking? He was engaged.  
  
  
  
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Sakura kept on staring at the shadowed ceiling in her white robes. It was late. The hotel balcony doors were wide open and the cool night air swirled into the room. The room was completely dark with only the white round moon as its light source. Through the silence, Sakura's eyes were slowly closing. Just then her phone rang. She groaned and reached over by the nightstand to pick up a small silver phone.  
  
"Hello?" There was no answer on the other line. "Hello? Anyone there?" Sakura kept asking. Finally, a voice appeared.  
  
"Stay away from the CIA building. Someone very close to you is planning to hurt you." Before Sakura could respond, the phone hung up. Sakura quickly closed her phone and sat there on her bed wondering. She could have sworn it was Jack's voice. She pondered a bit more before jumping up in frustration. She hopped off the bed and headed towards the bathroom.  
  
  
  
A few minutes later, she came back out dressed in a pair of gray training shorts, a white tank top, and a hooded navy blue sweater. She put on a pair of comfortable sandals and grabbed her wallet. She walked out of the hotel room shoving the wallet into her sweater pocket.  
  
  
  
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Syaoran was now staring at the computer screen. It was the only thing lighting the dark room. The rest of the floor was basically all dark except his room. He rubbed his forehead and got up. 'Ugh.' he thought. 'Too much work.'. He turned off the computer, grabbed his sports jacket, and walked out of the room.  
  
He had changed before he had come back to the office to work overtime. Clad in his faded jeans and a white shirt, he made his way to his car. He had its tires fixed from last night and was ready to go. He hopped in, turned on the engine and was off.  
  
  
  
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Sakura was walking down the street under the streetlights. Her hands shoved into her sweater pocket, she turned the corner. As she walked down the quiet streets, she craned her neck to look at all the closed shops. The lights were out and everything inside was dark for it was 'way' past business hours.  
  
  
  
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Syaoran drove down the street with the streetlights overhead flashing by quickly. He stared out into the empty street with a sigh. As he drove further into the darkness, he spotted a woman walking by herself. He drove up more and tried to get a better look of the woman. To his surprise, it was Laura. He pulled down the window and called out.  
  
"Laura?"  
  
Sakura turned to her left and looked at Syaoran.  
  
"Mr. Li?" She saw him smile at her.  
  
"Come on. Get in, I'll give you a lift." Syaoran suggested. As he opened the car door.  
  
"It's fine. You don't have to do this." Sakura tried to deny but she gave in and stepped in. Once inside, Sakura settled into her seat and looked at Syaoran.  
  
"What are you doing out here this late?" Sakura asked.  
  
"I could ask the same thing." Syaoran grinned.  
  
"I just needed some air and thought I'd walk it off. Maybe stop by a bar or something." Sakura answered.  
  
"Well, I needed air too. I work way too much and it was about time that office started getting stuffy. Anyway, I was heading over to a small bar in a club." Syaoran remembered his encounter with Sakura the first night. His mind managed to always make its way to that kiss.  
  
"Really? Me too. What a coincidence!" Sakura laughed. Of course, she understood the irony of it all. The club was where Sakura met Syaoran for the first time. But she figured she was meeting him again as a new person.  
  
"Good. This'll be a perfect chance for me to offer you to buy a drink."  
  
"That'd be great." Sakura smiled flashing her white teeth.  
  
  
  
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Syaoran and Sakura walked into the club. People were dancing with the flash of lights outlining every body in the room. The two walked over to the bar and sat down on two tall metal stools. They turned to the bartender and ordered. As they sat there waiting for their orders, they watched out into the sea of people dancing and talking.  
  
"So, how's your work going at the office?" Syaoran asked trying to start a small conversation.  
  
"It's all right. It can get hard but I think I haven't experienced anything to the fullest so I'll just have to wait and see."  
  
"Did anything happen today with you and Hilda? The woman you were talking to today." Syaoran asked a bit concerned.  
  
'So Hilda's the name. That punk.' Sakura thought bitterly. "Oh, it was nothing. Just a little dispute." Sakura saw Syaoran's expression. "It's really alright. I mean, that's how I'll learn you know?" Sakura smiled, trying to reassure him.  
  
The two turned when they were handed their orders. Sakura had a glass of margarita while Syaoran had a martini. He swirled the clear liquid around before taking a sip. He watched as Sakura tucked her hair behind her ear and take a sip of her drink. All of the sudden, his mind flashed him back to the time when he first saw the woman with raven black hair. She had tucked her hair behind her right ear before approaching him. Then his mind skipped over to when he had seen her at the salsa club. The woman had tucked her hair back as she gracefully danced across the stage. His memories flashed by with all those times Sakura had tucked her hair behind her ear. It felt like time had frozen and everything was standing still. Syaoran's fingers loosened. The cool glass slipped out of his fingertips and dropped to the floor in slow motion. The glass shattered into tiny twinkling pieces and disappeared into every corner. Luckily no one was hurt but that wasn't running thought Syaoran's head. Why hadn't he realized this before? When the world started to move again, Syaoran realized that Sakura was looking at him with a concerned look.  
  
"You ok? What's the matter?" Sakura asked.  
  
"Nothing, I'm fine. Just.slipped." He trailed off as he stared at her face. "Yuh-you know what? I think we should get going. It's getting late." Syaoran suggested as he got up, left a 10-dollar bill on the counter and started walking towards the exit.  
  
"O-ok." Sakura was confused but just followed him out.  
  
  
  
Once in the car, there was silence. Syaoran broke the silence.  
  
"I don't mean to be random or anything but what would you do if someone you thought was trustworthy was in truth a liar?" Syaoran asked in a whisper. He stared at her as they stopped in front of a red light.  
  
"Umm.I'd." Sakura was at loss of words. What was this man playing at? She stared at him. She thanked the Lord when the light turned green and it forced Syaoran to look away from her.  
  
Throughout the whole ride, it was dead silent in the car. When Syaoran reached the hotel, he looked up at the name. She said a quick good bye and stepped out of the car. She walked into the building without looking back. Syaoran, seeing her go in, stepped on the gas and raced down the street towards his home.  
  
  
  
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Soon as Sakura had gotten into her room, she ran for her phone and picked it up. She speed dialed Josh's number. When she heard a voice on the other line, Sakura felt a bit relieved.  
  
"Josh? Josh?" Sakura spoke rapidly into the phone.  
  
"Chica? What is it?"  
  
"Do you have those plans? I need them by tomorrow morning. I think Syaoran's figuring things out. I think he knows it's me." Sakura breathed quickly.  
  
"What do you-" Josh was soon cut off.  
  
"As in he knows I'm up to no good." Sakura waited for a reply.  
  
"Oh.oooooooooooh.This isn't good. Do you think he'll call authority?"  
  
"I don't know! I just hope I last through the night." Sakura was getting nervous. This was rare for she never got nervous.  
  
"Do you think you can do this tomorrow morning, cause walking into office is like walking right into a trap."  
  
"Do you think I don't know that? But.I have to do this, and I know I can do it. Just give me the plans and I'll have the disk in your hand by noon."  
  
"Alright." Josh replied. "First." He trailed off into a string of instructions. Sakura nodded a couple of times. Her night was spent away planning and going over every wrong possibilities that could happen while her mission.  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
Syaoran sat in a chair on his balcony. It was 1 am and the night was pitch dark. The moon had disappeared and was somewhere roaming the world. Syaoran sat and thought as the cool night air blew through his hair. 'I have to turn her in.but what's stopping me?' He thought not knowing what it was that was holding him back. After a half an hour of arguing with himself he concluded that he'd inform Yoritomo and everyone tomorrow morning and arrest Laura, or was that her real name? He closed his eyes and tilted his head back. His face stared up into the sky. The night air washed over his face leaving a trace of relaxation, which was almost impossible through the circumstances.  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
Sakura was ready. With all her courage, she walked into the office dressed like it was any other day. A pair of long tight comfy black hip-hugger pants, ankle-high black leather boots with narrow heels, a white dress shirt with the large collar and sleeve cuffs, and a black rhyme stone choker around her neck that contrasted the light of her exposed skin and the black stones. She realized that Syaoran was in his office sitting and working as usual. As she walked by, he looked up and got up. She knew she'd have to work fast. She walked faster towards a part of the floor. She prayed that she'd be finished before Syaoran informed anyone of her identity. She was basically in a race against the clock and Syaoran. She turned her neck around to see where Syaoran was. To her surprise, Jack came up to Syaoran, stopping him from his way to Yoritomo's office. Jack had a stack of files in his arms and was asking something to Syaoran. Syaoran tried to push Jack away but couldn't. That cheating bastard was good for something after all. Sakura quickly turned back to her mission and walked up to a metal door.  
  
"Cameras will be down for 1 and a half minutes, starting.now." Josh instructed from her earpiece.  
  
There was a security lock on the door. Sakura quickly took out a devise from her bag and plugged a cord into the code system. Within minutes, the access code was found and the door clicked open. Sakura flung open the door as little as possible and slipped in. Inside the room, there were isles and isles of computer systems. Little lights were flashing and there were constant beeping. Sakura breezed through the rows of computer system before stopping in front of a main computer. She quickly typed her way into a file, which was classified. Josh spelled out the code and soon Sakura was downloading files from the main information system. She stared at he screen as the window with the download time bar continued to move across towards the end very slowly. 'Come on, come on.' she thought in a hurry. Sakura checked her watch; she had only 15 seconds left. She slightly jumped in relief when the file was done. She took out the disc from the computer and safely put it in a flat case. She ran out of the room towards the door and slipped out unnoticed. She looked both ways before straightening her outfit and walking casually back into the main floor. She pushed back her glasses and breathed a sigh. When she made it to the middle of the room, where there was a clearing, she was stopped but, surprisingly, Jack. He aggressively grabbed her arm and whispered into her ear.  
  
"I zhought zhe varning last night vas enough." He whispered in a low tone.  
  
"It was you? But why?" Sakura looked confused.  
  
"I vanted to pay you back. I know vhat I did long ago vas vrong but I wanted to get even by zaving your life, but obviouzly you deedn't zake zhat chanse."  
  
"What are you talking about. Save my life from what?" Sakura asked. Now he was facing her. He was a couple of feet away from her. By now, the whole room was turned to them. Syaoran and Yoritomo were behind Jack listening intently. Yoritomo stared at Sakura. It looked like Syaoran had just told him about Sakura.  
  
"I'm zorry but I (h)ave to keell you." Jack pulled out a gun from nowhere. That instant, the room jumped a little.  
  
"What the." Sakura was confused. Syaoran was about to jump in but Yoritomo stopped him.  
  
"Member vhen you told mee in zhe beginning you knew vho I vorked for. Vell you vere vrong. I'm vorking vith zomeone else zhat vants you dead."  
  
"And who the hell would that be?" Sakura asked giving Jack a hard stare.  
  
  
  
"I'm zorry, but your father vants you dead." Jack replied with a trace of sympathy in his voice.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
SouPop1004: Hey peepoz! Crazy ending of a chapter, nah? Haha.Well I don't like cliffhangers but this one had to be done. Hehe.anyway, I just wanted to say, this story isn't at all going the way I planned. I wanted TSD to be more.I don't know. More unique than The Intern, but I guess not. That's what I think, but you guys might have a different opinion. So please, e- mail me or even better, REVIEW! Hehe. and remember to leave your e-mail address when reviewing. Thanks peepoz. I'll see you all in the next chapter! ~Ja ne  
  
PS. I'm really sorry for chapter 4. I re-read it and there were lots of mistakes. To the person who pointed that out, thank you. Next time, you can be more specific so I can fix the mistakes. Thank you again.  
  
To the person who pointed out that I spell Senior-Senor, thanks for pointing that out. I just realized that. Hehe.and also, I tried your advice but it didn't work. -_- sigh.  
  
Um.to all new readers out there, umm.many have questioned with when S+S are gonna be fluffy, well that ain't gonna be anytime soon. Like I said many times before, TSD is different than The Intern. For starters, TSD isn't as rushed. I guess you could say The Intern was my trial and error type of deal. It still got great reviews but I've learned some things that I've made a mistake on before. Anyway, about S+S. Their relationship won't be a blossoming beauty like how so many other authors chose to show. I wanted to break away and be different. I'm sure some authors out there have chosen this path but still. There just ain't enough out there. As for the type of love for the two, it'll be clashes of emotions and the more violent type of love. And I will say that the development of their feelings will take a while so please don't rush. You know and I know that when reading a story, and there's a romance part, you want it to go on. It makes the ending all the more better. (One reviewer said something like it. Thank you!)  
  
The person who suggested that Tomoyo have a larger part in the story. Well, I'm on chapter 9 right now and it doesn't seem like Tomoyo's gonna get much part. She does come out in chapter 5, 6, or 7, but overall so far, she doesn't come out much. And Eriol fans, after a long time of thinking and thinking, I have come across a plan to stick him in. It's not a definite thing but if I do decide to pull him in, he'll be introduced in the later chapters. Most likely chapter 10.  
  
Lets see.what else was there.oh yes, the "raw, physical attraction" thing. Yes, that was the intention here but the story didn't work out that way so far. But Sakura liking the first kiss was a small part so I still have a chance to turn it around. Well, like I said before, the S+S relationship will TAKE TIME, so please don't be looking for specific chapters that'll spill over with affection cause it won't. But you can definitely look for action and drama. Umm.yes. Since you've gotten the general idea of what I'm aiming for, I'd love to hear your idea on how I can bring them together on "raw, physical attraction".  
  
Oh yes, I have put in my email to you all that I MIGHT take a pause and write a one shot, like Snow. I'm not sure. I have come across an idea of a Cruel Intentions based story, but my fellow Partner in Crime has sent me a CCS fic that has ALREADY done a Cruel Intentions theme, so that was quite the damper. I guess if I can't get any ideas, TSD will go on on its regular schedule. (What schedule? Haha.) Umm.that's all I'll say for now. Too much a/n.  
  
Wow.long PS. Haha.thank you all for your reviews. I love you all. I'll see you next chapter.  
  
THANK YOU REVIEWERS!!! MAN!!! I'M SO HAPPY, I GOT 30 REVIEWS FOR CHAPTER 4. SO, IF YOU WANT FASTER CHAPTERS, MORE REVIEWS.MUAHAHAHAHAHA.yeah.hehe.I've gone kookoo. 


	6. Transition

SourPop1004: Hi peepoz! I won't say much right now. Except, enjoy the chapter. I'll see you readers at the bottom. =)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The Salsa Dancer  
  
By: Meeh!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakura stared at Jack with a mixture of confusion and anger in her eyes.  
  
"What?" Sakura tried to listen for Josh in her ear but she knew he had logged off.  
  
"Cereza, give me zhe disc now."  
  
"No!" Sakura held the disc tight in her right hand.  
  
She watched as Jack took out a cell from his pocket and speed dialed a number. He switched the phone to speaker mode. Everyone in the room could hear the loud ringing from the phone. Jack put it down on the floor with his gun still pointed at her. He lightly kicked the small phone so it slid across the smooth carpet towards Sakura. Sakura stopped her phone with her foot.  
  
"Josh?" There was silence on the other line.  
  
"I'm sorry chica, but give him the disc." Sakura couldn't believe what she was hearing.  
  
"Why the hell is Jack trying to kill me?" Sakura was yelling down at the phone.  
  
"Your 'father' thought it best to have you eliminated."  
  
"Why?!" Sakura questioned forcefully.  
  
"When you didn't tell your father about your encounter with Agent Li, you father thought you were getting too close and you know what happens when an agent gets too close, especially the enemy."  
  
"I." Sakura was speechless.  
  
"He already knew about what happened, but the fact that you lied to him was a concern to him. I'm sorry, but please, give Jack the disc." Josh order, his tone rather forceful.  
  
  
  
Sakura was silent. The whole time she was staring at the floor, she didn't notice the group of men that had come into the room. To her dismay, a group in black jump suits was neatly filed around the room. They had their guns pointed at Sakura.  
  
"What the." Yoritomo was mad. "These aren't our men." His face was turning red with anger.  
  
"It isn't. Zhey're my men." He turned to Sakura. "I'm very zorry, but I (h)ave to do this."  
  
Sakura was overwhelmed with an emotion she did not know existed, fear. She quietly gathered herself as best she could. This was going to be one heck of a fight. Suddenly, she heard Syaoran's voice.  
  
"If we help you get out, will you join us and help us bring down Fang."  
  
Sakura looked at Syaoran. Sakura quietly nodded and turned back down to the phone.  
  
"Josh, did you hear that? I'm going to personally send you two to hell. Good bye, I'll be coming after you." Sakura raised her foot and brought it back down, the sharp heel piercing the small phone. Sakura looked up with the confidence she knew was her salvation. "And you hon, you're going with them." Sakura jumped to the side, rolling on the ground under a desk. Instantly, the room sprung to life with gunfire. Everyone in the room ducted. Syaoran whipped out a gun from under his jacket and started to fire at the nearest man in a black jump suit. Yoritomo was off to the side under a desk calling for back up. Sakura popped up from the sea of crouching people. She spun around seeing a man with a gun. She kicked it out of the man's hand and grabbed it. She ran down the isle shooting continuously. When she ran out of bullets she swung the gun smashing it to a man's head. He fell limply to the floor. Half the men were down and another half to go. Syaoran was fighting off his own swarm of men. When back up came, they all fired at the remaining men. As soon as the dust and smoke from the guns cleared away revealing the tattered and destroyed room, people started to rise back up. Sakura looked through the smoke with narrowed eyes. She spotted Jack stumbling to get to the window to escape. Sakura quickly picked up the nearest gun and pointed it at Jack.  
  
"Oh Jack, where you goin'?" Sakura yelled out. She watched Jack freeze and slowly get up and turn towards her. Sakura was smiling. "You know, father should have known better than to send someone like you to get the job done. This is one decision he screwed up." Sakura heard Syaoran call from behind.  
  
"Don't shoot him." Syaoran warned.  
  
Within a split second, a bang was heard through the quiet floor. Jack fell to the floor with blood seeping through his shirt. His eyes were open, staring at Sakura. Sakura only looked down at the dead body with disgust.  
  
"I told you not to shoot!" Syaoran yelled at Sakura's back.  
  
"Oops?" That was her only reply. She disengaged the gun and within seconds, all the different parts of the gun fell to the floor. The bullets showered down to the carpet and hit the floor with soft thuds. Sakura turned around with a grim face and walked towards the door. Before she could reach the door, Syaoran grabbed her arm. "Yes?" Sakura asked coldly.  
  
"You can't leave yet. We need some information first."  
  
Sakura pulled her arm away from his grasp and walked out of the room. The whole room watched as she left out the glass doors and to the elevators.  
  
  
  
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Sakura was packing her things. It was the next morning. She was throwing her clothes into a large suitcase. Sakura had changed her appearance back to the raven-haired girl Syaoran had met the first night. She tied up her long hair and was wearing a pair of hip-hugger jeans, tennis shoes, a green shirt, and a hooded sweater. She closed the fat suitcase and locked the latches. She grabbed her sunglasses and wheeled the case out of the room.  
  
Downstairs, she walked by the register counter and tossed a gold credit card at the clerk.  
  
"Charge as much as you want." Sakura instructed and left the hotel. Out side she called a cab and got in with her case.  
  
  
  
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The office was in frantic hysteria. Everyone was running around with files. Syaoran was making calls while Yoritomo was talking to government officials. Everything stopped when Sakura walked into the room. Everyone stared at the new stranger. Jessie came up to Sakura.  
  
"Yes? How may I help you?"  
  
Before Jessie could question any further, Syaoran had seen Sakura. He came over and led Sakura to Yoritomo's office. Jessie followed looking confused.  
  
  
  
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Yoritomo was sitting in his office when he looked up and saw Sakura, Syaroan, and Jessie. The three sat down staring at Sakura.  
  
"So." Yoritomo started. "What is your real name, we'll start with that."  
  
"I was named Cereza Lobo but we all know now that that's no more. I always knew my real name. The age 10 isn't as young as everyone thinks. I know who my real father was and who my brother was but they're dead. Anyhow, my actual name is Kinomoto Sakura. Surprise, surprise." Sakura answered sarcastically.  
  
"That's not your real appearance, is it?" Yoritomo asked smiling.  
  
"Of course not. I don't trust you all to the fullest to actually show you what I look like."  
  
"Don't worry, it's not like we trust you all the way either. Our government does not negotiate with terrorists." Yoritomo answered.  
  
"Well I'm not a terrorist. I only 'worked' for one." Sakura smiled with a glitter in her eyes.  
  
"Anyhow, you'll be taken down to the CIA operations quarter and be tested. And also, once you know where the head quarters is, you know you're sworn to secrecy. But if you choose to violate that rule, you must be eliminated. And trust me, the job will be carried out, unlike that slop of a mess Fang sent yesterday."  
  
"Fine, I'll agree to everything you say that is within reason but one thing, I need a place to stay. I can't exactly stay at the hotel that was provided by Fang. He'll come after me. And you and I know that me dead will be of no help to your government." Sakura explained coolly.  
  
Syaoran sat and listened intently. Laura, no Sakura was a lot different than how she was in the office. He figured it was all part of her training to blend in any crowd.  
  
"The CIA prison cell will be of most comfort for you, but having that the cells are full, you'll be boarding with Li here." Yoritomo pointed at Syaoran.  
  
"What?" Syaoran asked surprised. "I refuse."  
  
"Sorry Li, it's gonna have to be this way. The protection guard in headquarters is down right now and you are our best agent. I think you can keep her under a close watch." Yoritomo reasoned looking at the cringing Syaoran.  
  
"Fine." Syaoran looked over at Sakura.  
  
"Hey, don't glare at me. It's not like I'm thrilled to be near you or anything." Sakura replied with a smile.  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
Sakura looked around the large apartment. 'Not bad.' she thought looking around. Syaoran's house was very spacious. She couldn't wait to explore more. She smiled when she heard Jessie and Syaoran having a little argument about her.  
  
"Does she have to stay with you?" Jessie asked.  
  
"Hey, I'm sorry but that's what Yoritomo said."  
  
"But." Jessie was cut off by Sakura who had spun around and was facing them at the door.  
  
"Don't worry, nothing will happen to your boy toy." Sakura smiled evilly.  
  
Jessie just gave a little glared and stormed out of the house towards her car.  
  
"So, where's my room?" Sakura asked smiling.  
  
"Upstairs." Syaoran picked up Sakura's large black suitcase and led her up the stairs where there were 4 different doors. "The one to the right is the bathroom. The one next to it is mine and the last two on either side of the bathroom and my room are the guestrooms. Pick one. Oh, and get changed. We're going back to the office." Syaoran left and went downstairs.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
Sakura and Syaoran had gotten into an elevator. Syaoran was in his usual suit while Sakura was in a long black skirt with a slit in the back, a black dress shirt with large collars and cuffs (I love those!!!), and a pair of knee-high black leather zip-up boots. Instead of pushing for the usual floor number, Syaoran put his hand flat against the cool metal panel under the list of numbered buttons. To Sakura's surprise, a blue neon light scanned his hand in approval. Instantly, a round button with the letter 'B' on it appeared bellow the palm scanner that hadn't been there before. Syaoran pressed it. The elevator started to move down. Sakura watched in amazement. When the elevator lurched to a stop, a red light flashed in the elevator checking for any suspicious items. Then the light flashed green of approval. Syaoran walked out of the elevator and was followed by Sakura. Everyone turned their way and stared. The two quickly walked away form the prying eyes of everyone to a room with a round table and two chairs.  
  
"Have a seat. Here, you'll be telling us all you know of Fang's operations."  
  
Sakura sat down as she looked to the sidewall where there was a large mirror. She knew perfectly well that it wasn't a mirror, but a looking glass.  
  
"Um.you guys probably know everything." Sakura suggested with a lazy look on her face. She had tied up her hair into a ponytail high up on her head and had perched her sunglasses on top as well.  
  
"Can you name all your alliances?"  
  
"I don't handle those things. I go in, grab what I need, get out, and no questions asked, so can we stop?" Sakura looked bored.  
  
"Who was your latest employer?"  
  
"Other than father, there was Mr. Voljour. He wanted some files to be burned."  
  
"Do you know which ones they were?" Sakura nodded.  
  
"They were relating to his court case back in '99. He wanted them gone for personal reasons, which I don't know why. Then father wanted a complete copy of whatever was in the main computer system on our floor." Sakura took out a disc from her black leather bag and tossed it onto the table. "I'm returning this to you." Sakura replied curtly.  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
An hour had passed and Sakura and Syaoran were finally coming out of the room. Syaoran turned to Sakura after speaking to Yoritomo and a few other elderly men.  
  
"You will be starting training classes tomorrow." Syaoran was about to turn around when Sakura interjected.  
  
"Excuse me? Me training? Hello? I think I don't need training classes. I'm quite capable." Sakura shot back.  
  
"Well we all know you are capable but we are going to train you the 'right' way. Killing everything that moves isn't exactly civilized. Remember you have been trained by terrorists. Oh, by the way, Mrs. Elms here will escort you to the CIA medical division to be tested. Also, your real identity will be held confidential. For everyone else's knowledge, you're Kinomoto Sakura, a new agent in training." Syaoran replied and walked away leaving Sakura standing there. 'Great.' she thought heaving a sigh as she watched a plump woman come her way with a smile.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
Sakura was in Syaoran's spacious living room in a pair of sweat pants, a gray tank top, white slippers, and a loose bun on top of her head. She was sprawled all over the couch flipping through the big screen TV. She ignored the fact that Syaoran had walked downstairs after taking a shower, but she noticed how attractive he looked when his hair was wet. He looked at her.  
  
"Does Miss Capable come with any manners?" Syaoran asked coolly, making his way to the kitchen.  
  
"Sorry hon, one of my many flaws I'm afraid." Sakura replied sarcastically as she continued to flip through the channels.  
  
Syaoran looked at Sakura from the kitchen counter as he took a gulp of cold water from a bottle.  
  
"Is there anything to do around here?" Sakura asked bored out of her mind. "Whatever, I'm going to go take a shower or something." Sakura jumped up turning off the TV. She made her way up the stairs and disappeared.  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
The bathroom was large and very.white. There was a glass shower stall to one corner and a round tub to another. There was the toilet and sink to her right. All over the tiled floor, there were plush rugs near the sink, the toilet, the tub, and the shower stall. Sakura walked over to the long white marble sink and looked at how organized it was. She walked over to the tub and smiled. She turned on the silver faucet and instantly the hot steamy water rushed down into the large tub. The steam rose towards the ceiling and the room began to fog.  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
The next morning, Sakura woke. The sun wasn't up yet and her room was dim. Her suitcase was to the corner of the room. She had unpacked and organized all her outfits. She got up and rubbed her eyes sleepily. She grabbed her white bathrobe and threw it around her shoulders before going down the stairs.  
  
  
  
Syaoran was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of hot coffee in his hand and a newspaper in the other. He didn't look up from his paper but only spoke.  
  
"Good morning."  
  
"Yeah." Sakura trailed off walking towards the kitchen. "You got any coffee left?" Sakura's clear voice rang through the large empty kitchen.  
  
"In the pot next to the microwave. The mugs are right next to the pot." Syaoran's voice came from behind the newspaper.  
  
After a few seconds, Sakura appeared with a steaming cup as well and say down across form Syaoran.  
  
"So, what are we doing today?" Sakura asking taking a slow sip of her coffee.  
  
"You are going to start your training. I'm going to help out a small team find some more info on Fang." Syaoran answered.  
  
"Ok.how exciting." Sakura replied sarcastically.  
  
"Oh, also, dress properly for training." Syaoran commented as he took a sip and put his paper down on the table.  
  
"Right." Sakura answered. She left the half-empty cup down on the table and got up. "I'll just pack some shorts and a shirt or something." Sakura commented as she left towards the stairs.  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
Sakura was in a formal suit: a black knee-low skirt, a white blouse, a black suit jacket, and a pair of black high-heels. She had packed a shirt, pants, and a pair of sneakers in a duffel bag. Syaoran and Sakura had walked into the mission headquarters. Sakura was quickly whisked away by the same plump lady from yesterday and Syaoran was gone to take care of an important call.  
  
Sakura was first directed to a locker room where she changed into her shirt and gray gym pants. She tied her hair up to keep it out of her face and wore a pair of Nikes. (Oh yeah! Nike! Woohoo!) Then she was dropped off in a large white, empty room where a small group of people was already waiting. She scanned through the crowd and concluded nothing special. But one person did catch her eyes. It was a slender light-skinned woman with long wavy violate hair. Sakura tilted her head in thought. 'Hmm.looks familiar.' Before she could probe her memories longer, a man and woman walked into the room. Sakura figured they were the instructors.  
  
"All right everyone. If you are in this room right now, I will assume that you all have taken the written test and have passed." The woman spoke out.  
  
Sakura wondered. 'I guess they submitted a test for me or something.'  
  
"Anyhow, you physical training starts today. You'll be working over a variety of areas in this course. Target practice, strategies, and the entire sort. Please do know that you may be dropped from the course as fast as you came in, so I suggest work hard since you have gotten this far."  
  
'Dang.she makes it sound like it's life depending.' Sakura thought looking over at the woman that was speaking. Tall, skinny, and a mean-looking pair of eyes. (Mean-looking in a literal sense.)  
  
"Now, please follow me into the other room. We'll start by hand-to-hand combat tests. And just a reminder, for anyone to have come this far, I'm assuming you all have had experience with some type of martial arts."  
  
'If only you knew.' Sakura smiled at all the times she had relied on her fists to break away from a tough situation. Of course, fists were second, behind her quick acting brain.  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
Syaoran had just gotten off the phone and was talking to a group of workers. Yoritomo spoke up.  
  
"Gentlemen, please, follow me to the meeting room. I believe we have known information on Fang. Li, you may stay behind with Tano. You already have been informed of everything."  
  
Syaoran nodded as the group turned and made their way across the hall to the meeting room. Syaoran turned to Tano who had tapped him on his shoulder.  
  
"What are you doing here Tano?" Syaoran asked surprised.  
  
"Oh, I just came to check out the training session with all the new agents. Heard there were some chicks so came here in a flash. Plus, I was getting bored out of my mind with Jessie talking about that Kinomoto girl living at your place." Tano smiled.  
  
Syaoran smiled.  
  
"You want to come and watch or something?" Tano suggested cheerfully.  
  
Syaoran hesitated but decided to agree. "Alright. Let's go."  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
The group was spread out across the large gym with blue mats. There were other men and women, other than the group, to act as sparring partners.  
  
Syaoran and Tano came into a small-secluded room where a few people were already in. They were sitting down in across the large window and they had a clipboard in front of them. Syaoran figured they were there to watch and take notes on each agent-in-training. Syaoran and Tano just stood behind them and watched at the group down bellow.  
  
Did little everyone know that the mirrors around the gym were in fact one- way view windows and that others were watching them.  
  
Sakura looked at the instructor who was assigning people to different sparring partners so they could evaluate how well each agent knew of contact combat. Sakura was assigned to a tall tanned man. He was kind of cute. Sakura smiled as she walked over to her mat and smiled at the man who gave a small smile. 'Ooh.not bad.not bad at all.' Sakura thought biting her lower lip.  
  
"On my signal, you shall start. Do whatever that comes to your mind. This is testing your instincts and abilities. Once you have been defeated, I want you to step off your mat and come join me and my partner to observe the remaining fighters." The man instructed. The man and woman were standing in front of the row of mats and were ready to observe the fights.  
  
The handsome man looked down at Sakura. He was taller than she was. "Don't worry, I like you. I'll go easy on you. You ready Miss Kinomoto? " He whispered.  
  
"Ready as ever." Sakura smiled. Then she heard the woman shout out.  
  
"Begin!" Instantly, the sparring dummies sprang to life and started by throwing a couple of punches.  
  
The tall man began with a light punch; Sakura blocked it off with the greatest of ease. 'I hope this isn't all.' Sakura thought with disappointment.  
  
5 minutes into the clock, half of the people had been defeated and were observing the remaining people. From a split second from her fight, Sakura noticed the violet-haired woman was still standing on the next mat over. Not for long though. The woman fell to the ground with a light thud. Her partner smiled down at her and helped her up. The partner murmured some sort of Good Job and smiled. A few more minutes passed and there was only Sakura still on her mat. By now, the man had started throwing full blows at her, but for the whole time, Sakura hadn't attacked, only blocked. Everyone was watching now. Sakura heard the woman instructor talking to her.  
  
"Miss Kinomoto, did you only learn defense? We'd all like to know if you could fight. Blocking isn't very good out on the field. Throw some punches in there." The woman urged with a hint of cruel sarcasm in her voice.  
  
Sakura continued to block the man's kicks and punches. "Hey, can I help it if the guys cute. I really don't want to screw up that face." Sakura smiled.  
  
"Cockiness is not acceptable. If you're not going to attack, than stop. That just shows that you 'can't' do this." The woman challenged.  
  
Sakura kept blocking but her head was turned towards the woman. "Excuse me? Can't? Who the heck said I can't? Do you really want me to do this? I might really mess him up and I kind of want him around for coffee afterwards." Sakura replied with a mocked tone.  
  
The woman glared at her with venom. She had seen many new agents but none of them were as rude and cocky as this one. The instructor spoke up. "Fine, you can't fight him, fight me. That way, I'll be able to evaluate you in person." The woman looked at the man and told him to stop. The man instantly stopped and stepped off the mat. The woman walked onto the mat and got into defense position. "Go ahead, don't worry. I won't attack, only block."  
  
Sakura got ready as well. "You sure on that?" Sakura was about to throw a punch when their attention was derived towards the gym door. The two fighters stopped and looked towards the door. It was Syaoran.  
  
"Miss Gate, may I please borrow Miss Kinomoto for a sec?" Syaoran asked with a smile.  
  
"Sure Mr. Li." She replied. She gave Sakura a glare as Sakura walked towards the door.  
  
The two turned around and exited the door. Sakura watched as Syaoran's smile faded into a glare.  
  
"What do you think you're doing? You can't show them that you know how to do this?" Syaoran was angry.  
  
"Sorry! I don't like it when crap of an instructor like her challenge me! Especially when it's a person that I KNOW isn't better than me." Sakura yelled back. "Ugh! Why the heck do I even have to do this? Tell me! You know I don't need it!" Sakura shouted more. The rest of the room stared.  
  
Syaoran was silent. He looked at the people and turned back to Sakura. He grabbed her arm and dragged her into an empty meeting room. Once inside, he looked at her.  
  
"You want to know why?" Sakura stared at him. "I KNOW you don't need this crap. I'll say it myself. The whole training course is jacked. Those idiots don't know what the heck they're talking about. But the reason why Yoritomo and the board of directors is making you do this is so they don't have to deal with you. A few days ago, Yoritomo got a call from Fang. He threatened to let you out or that they'd screw this place. Wouldn't that make you a bit nervous? So they made it look like you were released, and that's what Fang thinks. That's why you are officially under Sakura Kinomoto and listed as a new agent-in-training. Your passport, Ids, and all other necessities are already set. They're at home. Anyway, they don't want you to be lounging around cause they don't want you to screw up their plan. Get it? Cause if you do, we ALL are in danger. They have a plan to keep Fang's mind off of you, so they can drop a spy into their organization to get proof that will help us bring him down. You should realize all the trouble we're going through just to keep you around. The other workers in this base that don't know about you are always asking questions and every time I have to answer them because Yoritomo and his crew doesn't answer these calls." Syaoran explained quietly yet with force. Sakura looked at him.  
  
"I'm sorry." Sakura finally answered. "I'll do the training without word." Sakura was quiet. She walked towards the door and opened it. She looked back for a second before walking out the door.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
SourPop1004: Here! Chapter 6! Woopwoop! Hehe.ok.I just wanted to say thanks for the reviews and also that I think that this story's going to be longer than 10 chapters. Well, more work for me and more fun for you guys. Hehe. Also, I think I need to start putting more S+S, cause in my opinion there's barely any if at all. So, I'll be working towards that for the next chapter. I'd really love it if you guys could help me to think up a way to bring those two together. This story it's a bit harder to since Syaoran's engaged and all. =) So e-mail me at xxgodslight012xx@aol.com and make sure to leave your e-mail address when reviewing. Bye! See you guys next chapter!  
  
PS. Also, I'm having a major writer's block and it's killing me. There's a high chance of me starting a new story in between chapters. But I'm not sure if I should do that. I'm so stuck on chapter 10 and it's killing me.(as I've said earlier.) Grr.anyway, ch.10 is where Eriol comes out, and the plot gets weirder. Anyway, I think I have twisted my plot waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much for my own good. Oh well, I'm sure it's not something I can't handle. Thnx you guys for your wonderful reviews. (Can't say the same about Senior Robin's but yeah.) 


	7. Shattered Wine

SourPop1004: Hey there readers! Here I am with chapter 7! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and remember to review! Thnx peepoz! See you at the bottom.

The Salsa Dancer

By: Moi!

Fang sat in his large armchair with a pleased expression. He looked over a file. He smiled and shook his head.

"Fools." He commented in pity as he continued to read a report from one of his men stationed in LA.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sakura's second day of training was over. Part 1 of it anyway. She would have part 2 later that day. She sat alone in the empty gym with a coke and sandwich. She quietly ate staring into the mirror when the gym door opened and the woman with violet hair walked in with a plastic bag. 

"May I join you? I really don't want to eat with the others today." The woman smiled.

"Sure." Sakura answered putting down her drink on the mat.

The woman walked over and sat across from her on the mat. She extended her arm. "I'm Tomoyo Daidouji. Nice to meet you." 

Sakura took the woman's and shook it firmly with a smile. "Hi there. I'm Sakura Kinomoto." Sakura noticed Tomoyo staring at her with a horrified look.

"No you aren't…" Tomoyo whispered. Sakura gave her a questioning eye.

"Excuse me?" Sakura looked confused. What was wrong with this person?

Tomoyo shook away form her zoning. "I'm sorry. That was rude. It's just you have the same name as someone I knew. She was my best friend in elementary."

"What happened to her?" Sakura asked curious.

Tomoyo had a sad smile. "I really don' t know what happened but everyone that loved her came to a conclusion that she's dead. Her father and brother were killed and she disappeared." Tomoyo explained. Her eyes were starting to water. Sakura leaned forward and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"It's alright. You can cry. That's such a sad story." Sakura paused for a moment. "If it isn't too much trouble, could describe what she looked like?" Tomoyo looked up at her.

"Well, she had brown hair, green eyes, and a dazzling smile." Tomoyo couldn't help but smile at the long-gone memory of her friend. When she looked at Sakura, Sakura was dead cold and still. "Is something the matter? Well, if I scared you, don't worry, I'm afraid you don't look like her."

Sakura's mind was in a hurricane. 'I knew her… finally…someone I know that loved me. I want to tell her…but what would Syaoran say? Who cares about him? Why do I even bother? Yet…I don't know…' Sakura thought in despair. She wanted to tell this woman everything, but she knew she shouldn't. Not yet anyway.

"Oh, it's fine, I was just spacing out a bit." Sakura smiled. She picked up her sandwich and took a bite. "You should hurry and eat, lunch break will be over soon." Sakura watched intently as Tomoyo smiled and opened her carryout lunch.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Syaoran had wanted to talk to Sakura. She sat in his office on the regular floor (not the headquarters base). She looked around and spotted the large view window. She got up and walked over and stared down at the busy city. She turned around when she heard someone at the door.

"Like the view?" A man with blonde spiked hair looked at her.

"Yeah…" Sakura replied turning back to the window.

"I'm Tano. Syaoran just wanted me to tell you to come to the meeting room for a briefing downstairs." 

"Oh, ok." Sakura turned around and walked towards the door where he stood. She had cleaned up and changed into her regular clothes. Thanked the facilities of the locker room. It came with showers. She had changed into a pair of black pants with a silver chain belt, a black quarter-sleeved dress shirt, and a pair of black leather pumps. (Gotta love leather. Especially black. Hehe…) She followed Tano down the hall and to the elevators.

As the elevator moved down, Tano spoke first in an attempt to start small talk.

"So, you're a new agent in training?"

"Yeah…" Sakura really didn't want to talk but she really couldn't do anything.

"I'm just curious but didn't you just start your training. Why would you need a briefing for a mission?"

"Um…I guess they want to test me or something. I really have no idea." Sakura was trying to be polite but he was starting to get on her nerves. She thanked the heavens when they had reached their basement floor. Sakura quickly exited and swiftly walked down the hall towards where Syaoran and Jessie were standing. Jessie gave Sakura a look of fear and loathe. Sakura ignored it and went into the room. Inside, there was already a group around the table. When she entered, everyone stared at the new stranger. She ignored them and sat down in an empty seat. Soon as she did, Yoritomo started speaking.

"Gentlemen of the board, our small search group was able to get hold of some information regarding Fang and his businesses. We have got word that besides their search for one of their agents (he's referring to Sakura), they are continuing to pursue for the third card key. We believe their target will be Mr. Elliot." 

One man interrupted. "Elliot as in the fashion designer? Why on earth would he have the last card key?" Everyone agreed in confusion.

Sakura spoke up and everyone turned towards her. "Yes, he is a clothing line designer but his father sits with the highest ranking military generals in this country, one that is in part responsible for the vault in the first place. He had a son but who would have thought his son would turn down his family's generations of military ranking and go for the fashion business? Anyway, Elliot isn't his real name. He changed it when he went into the clothing business. And, who would suspect a fashion designer to be related to a military general. But just for safe measures, Elliot's father and the government made sure no one could find the files relating him to a military general. They did do a good job but Fang, or more like Josh, has a far better knowledge of cyber technology. I'm sure he can obtain almost every bit of information there ever was." Sakura finished. She smiled at the group of men who just sat there staring at her. Yoritomo continued.

"Yes, that's right."

An old plump man interrupted. "Who's Josh, and how would you know all this Miss?" The man turned to Yoritomo.

"For the rest of the members that have not been informed yet, this is one of Fang's agents that he is looking for to kill. Please greet Miss Kinomoto." The plump man and a few others turned towards Sakura.

"Yoritomo, you know we don't negotiate with terrorists." The man spat out coldly.

"Yes, we know Mr. Toryman but we have gotten the government's permission to." Yoritomo answered confidently. "Now, moving on." He turned towards Li. "You and Kinomoto will be flying to France. Elliot's having a fashion show in Paris. We have already informed him of your arrival tomorrow. We need you both to watch over the show. You'll have a team to help you. Your flight leaves in 2 hours. Kinomoto, you'll be noticed as sick for your sessions. If you have any further questions, both of you, ask Hector. I do believe he wishes to speak to you."

The meeting was over. Everyone got up and started to leave. Sakura stood up as well and looked towards Syaoran who was currently talking to Jessie. Jessie had a look of displeasure on her face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sakura stared out the private jetliner window. The white foggy clouds passed by as she stared mindlessly. Having had enough of the view, Sakura shut the blind and adjusted her seat. She looked to her left and found Syaoran with a magazine and a drink. They had gone undercover as a rich married couple, Mr. and Mrs. Laurence. The husband was dragged to Paris by his beloved wife who was a fashion fanatic and loves Elliot's works. Sakura smiled at the thought of her being a fashion fanatic. 'Not happening anytime soon…but what can I say, I guess I do have good taste in clothes.' Sakura laughed in her mind. 

To go with the scenario, Sakura was dressed like a snobby, stuck-up rich lady: a huge diamond ring on her ring finger, a pearl necklace, pair of round black sunglasses perched on her head, pair of black high-heels, a black knee-short slinky dress, and an over-sized white mink coat. She sat uncomfortably with her black purse on her lap. She tried to ignore the loose wavy strands of black hair falling on her face. 'Ugh…I hate this…' She thought sourly.

She leaned over to Syaoran and whispered.

"Was it necessary for the mink?" Sakura hissed.

"Don't ask me. I don't do these things." Syaoran smiled at Sakura's uncomfortable expression.

"Stop smiling. I'm like in an oven right now." Sakura whispered back.

Syaoran just smiled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Syaoran had walked down the stairs with a suitcase. Sakura stepped off the plane and stood at the top of the portable stairs. She looked up and saw the sun beaming down on her. She placed her dark glasses over her eyes and proceeded to walk down. Syaoran was waiting for her at the bottom. Once she got down, the two and their French contact, posing as a chauffeur walked towards the long limousine parked off to the side. 

Once inside the car, the man introduced himself. 

"I'm Cousteau. I'm assuming both of you are from LA." The man asked with a smile as he started up the car.

"Yes." Syaoran answered. "I'm agent Li and this is Kinomoto."

"Wow, you have no accent." Sakura commented smiling.

"Yes, well I've lived in the states for a little bit." The car lurched and began to drive out of the large runway and towards the entrance and onto the streets. 

Sakura looked out the darkened windows and smiled as they passed by the Arch de Triumph. There were many other cars on the streets. As Cousteau told them they were nearing the hotel, she could tell because the cars were starting to slow and cram together. Elliot's show was going to be held at a well-respected hotel in Paris. 

The car pulled up in front of the grand hotel. Sakura and Syaoran got off and walked down the long red carpet, which was lined by large plants in marble pots. The large red canopy above them shaded them from the bright sun.

Inside, the place was beautiful, neat, and clean. That is if you ignored the fact that the place was packed with reporters and photographers. Elliot's fashion show was going to take place in the evening, to compliment his theme, evening gowns. Sakura and Syaoran walked over the to counter to check in. Syaoran got a key to the second grand suite. The largest one was, of course, given to Elliot. With the key in his hand, the two walked over to the gold elevators and waited for it to come down. When the shiny doors slid open, a woman in a cream-colored dress and another in a blue dress stepped out. The two women were ceaselessly chatting. When they saw Sakura, they turned to her.

"Are you by any chance going to see the Elliot show tonight? I heard it'll be marvelous." The woman in cream asked with a delightful little cheery tone.

"Oh, yes, I am. I'm a huge fan." Sakura played along. She smiled.

"Great! We hope to see you there. We'll save you a seat. Tata." The two women walked away waving and continuing to chat.

Sakura rolled her eyes and walked into the elevator where Syaoran was waiting. She stepped in and the doors slid shut. Syaoran told the elevator person was floor and he pressed his white-gloved hands onto the round gold button and they were off. (Ooh…they even have those elevator people. Haha…)

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

As Syaoran opened the room door, he pointed out that Elliot's room was across the hall to the left. He pushed the door open and entered, followed by Sakura. 

Sakura looked around. The room was astonishing. Smooth velvety furniture and thick velvet curtains. She took off her coat and tossed it on the nearest couch. She walked into the bedroom and found a large king-size bed with silk sheets and a canopy high above the bed with red curtains with gold trimmings. Over each pillow lay a piece of neatly wrapped chocolate. She looked across from the bed and found a large screen TV. She walked back out and into the bathroom. Marble-white with gold faucets. She walked over to the huge round tub and saw the window behind it. The view was perfect. It looked over the city. It'd be beautiful during the night when the city would be lit. Breaking her trance, Syaornan called from the doorway.

"Hey, we need to get to Elliot's room."

"Ok." Sakura turned around and left the bathroom with Syaoran.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Elliot was an average height man with sand brown hair witch was stylishly spiked up. His blue eyes smiled as Sakura came in. He was dressed for success with his black collar put up like some mysterious man effect. 

"Are you guys from…" Elliot began.

"Yes, we are." Syaoran replied as he and Sakura were motioned to sit down.

"Well, I didn't expect to see such a beautiful woman here with you." He smiled a toothy grin as he took Sakura's hand and gave it a light kiss. Sakura smiled as he did so, but shot a look at Syaoran with an If-you-don't-get-him-off-me-I'll-kick-his-ass look. Syaoran just shrugged.

"Thank you. You're so kind." She artificially giggled. 'If this guy thinks he's some prince charming, well, he's got something else coming.' She thought.

The three sat around a glass coffee table. Syaoran put his silver suitcase on the table and clicked it open after unlocking it. He pulled out a small round black devise.

"Put it in your ear. This will help you hear our instructions. If anything happens, our number one priority is to keep you safe. And here." Syaoran held up a tiny little black round disk. "This is a magnetic Mic. It can attach to any surface. Are you going to wear that pendant tonight?" Syaoran pointed at Elliot's round metal pendant. 

"Yes. I always wear it."

"Here. Stick this on the back. With this you'll be able to talk to us."

Elliot took the little chip and placed it on the back of his pendant. The little metal clung to the round metal.

"I believe you are set Mr. Elliot." Sakura concluded. The two got up and were on their way to the door when Elliot called out to Sakura.

"Miss Kinomoto, will you join me for a drink after the show?" He smiled at her.

"Um…sure." Sakura replied and went out the door before Syaoran.

Once outside in the hallway in front of their room, Sakura turned to Syaoran.

"We're leaving after the show, right?" Sakura urged him with pleading eyes.

Syaoran laughed. "Yeah. We have to get back as soon as we can."

Sakura let out a large sigh of relief. "That's good. For a minute there I thought I had to actually sit through a drink with that hand-kissing loser." She smiled and stepped into the room. Syaoran just shrugged and walked in after her. 

~~~~~~~~~~ 

Behind the extravagant hotel, a huge white tent was set up. The silky white curtains fluttered in the night breeze as inside, workers and models were running around to get ready for the show. The palm trees and plants were covered with twinkling yellow lights, which lit the darkened garden. Waiters in tuxedos walked around with silver platters full of little appetizers. Men and women in formal elegant outfits stood around talking and chatting away. 

Syaoran was in his black tux talking to the other guests trying to blend in. Sakura was still upstairs getting ready. The women that had talked to Sakura earlier were off to one side of the large patio in their pretty little dresses talking amongst them selves while enjoying a chilled glass of champagne. 

Syaoran turned towards the short flight of steps that led down to the garden area. Sakura floated down the steps in her glittery black dress. Her hair was pinned with a diamond flower on the side of her head. With black strap sandals and a black beaded shall to complete her halter-top slinky dress was perfect. Sakura walked towards Syaoran, but was stopped in mid track by one of the women. They were in around their late 20's or early 30's. 

"Wow! Nice dress." One woman cheered as she looked Sakura over. 

"Why thank you." Sakura smiled. 

Sakura was soon drowned in dull chatter. She stood quietly with a smile listening to these women mumble on about how their husbands were better than the others. Sakura looked around the party out of boredom. While scanning, her eyes fell on a tall man with blackish red hair. Sakura titled her head to ponder but realized it was Josh. 'So… you're doing the dirty work now…' Sakura thought bitterly. Sakura turned to the ladies.

"Excuse me…"

Sakura swiftly left before they could stop her. She walked towards where Syaoran. He was currently talking to a small group of people before turning around at the tap on his shoulder.

"Yeah?"

"They're here." Sakura whispered.

Syaoran turned around and saw a tall man walked into the tent. Syaoran nodded. The two were about to move in when they saw Elliot in the middle of the patio calling for attention.

"Ladies and Gentlemen. The show is ready." Elliot bowed and motioned towards the opened curtains. The mass of people poured into the large tent and took their seats around the runway. 

The lights flashed and the music started. Elliot started introducing his designs as models started walking down the isle in various dresses and gowns. Sakura scanned the crowd for Josh. Sakura placed a hand over her right ear to block out the music.

"Syaoran, go to the right. I'll follow him." She spoke.

She saw Syaoran nod from across the room.

"Wait, one more thing." She saw him turn towards her. "Is Elliot carrying the key or what?"

"That's not important. Just protect him. All I'll say is that it's on him." Syaoran's voice was heard in her earpiece. 

Sakura nodded and continued to pursue Josh as he made his way towards the backstage area unnoticed. 

~~~~~~~~~~ 

Models and hair stylists frantically ran around the small area with dresses and hair spray. Sakura followed Josh through a swirving trail through the bustling bunch. Elliot was to the side of the stage on the other side of the tent giving out descriptions of his clothing line. She knew she wouldn't get to Elliot in time with out causing a scene so she did the next best thing. She decided to warn Elliot before Josh reached him. Sakura saw where all the models were lined up to go on stage. Sakura's eyes lit up. She ran to the front of the line and causally walked onto stage. Elliot smiled and kept talking until he realized that Sakura was on stage and did a double take. Sakura walked down the runway and whispered as she passed him.

"You're in danger. Start moving towards where Syaoran is, NOW!" Sakura hissed as she kept smiling and walked the rest of the way down. 

Elliot, still confused but listening, smiled again, readjusted his microphone headset, and started talking again. He waved his hands around explaining his designs as he walked towards Syaoran. Elliot stopped a couple of feet from Syaoran and stopped assuming this would look ok without looking too suspicious. Sakura turned around and walked back towards the exit of the stage. A row of angry looking models glared at her.

"I just saved your employer's ass. Don't dare look at me like that." Sakura warned dangerously. The models were all confused but Sakura was gone before they could glare any more. 

Sakura walked around the back stage towards where Josh had stopped in his tracks. Sakura smiled as she approached Josh from behind. Sakura's eyes darted to Syaoran who had look of caution in his eyes.

"What are you doing?" Syaoran asked her thought their communication pieces.

"I know what I'm doing." Sakura answered and walked to Josh and tapped his shoulder. "Sir, may I buy you a drink?" Sakura asked with a smile.

He hesitated then answered. "Of course."

The two walked out of the tent and were on the green grass with two glasses of champagne. Sakura watched Syaoran from the corner of her eyes. He was watching her. 

"What is your name?" Josh began politely.

"I'm Linda Laurance." Sakura smiled. She took a sip of her champagne. She ran the back of her left hand over her smooth right cheek and traced down her delicate slender fingers over her beaded necklace. Josh looked at her with a smile. The two mumbled a few greetings and parted. Sakura walked towards Syaoran with a smile. 

"What was that for?" Syaoran asked frowning.

"Just wanted to buy a drink for the man that betrayed me. Irony if you ask me. I'm a fan of irony." Sakura replied with a smile before walking back into the tent. Syaoran just looked on with slight confusion.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Syaoran and Sakura were up in their room. Syaoran was looking out the balcony at the dark sky. Sakura sat on the comfy couch.

"So, we can't leave tonight?" Sakura asked disappointed.

"Yeah. That Josh is staying over night. We can't risk it now." Syaoran answered as he turned around to face Sakura. Both turned towards the door when there was a knock. Sakura got up and opened the door to find a bellboy with a silver platter. There was a card on the shiny plate.

"I believe Mr. Elliot is awaiting your presence." The man commented and left.

Sakura had taken the card and read it. It was an invitation to his room. Sakura groaned. When she looked at Syaroan he just laughed.

"I'll be right back." Sakura answered and left the room. By now, she had changed into a black dress shirt and pants with boots. She walked out the door slamming it shut behind her. 

~~~~~~~~~~~ 

When Sakura knocked and entered the room, Elliot answered with a bottle of champagne in his free hand.

"Come in." He invited.

Sakura stepped in and looked around. The room was huge. She sat down on the couch and waited. She watched Elliot as he retrieved two wine goblets. Under the lights, his necklace reflected brilliantly. 

Elliot sat down next to Sakura on the large cushy couch. He poured her a glass and handed it to her. He slung his free hand over the couch and sipped his wine as he watched her take a small sip.

'What the heck is he staring at?' Sakura thought angrily, ready to punch him is she got the chance.

"You have very beautiful eyes." He commented with a smooth velvety voice.

"Why thank you." Sakura answered with a slight blush. 'Beautiful eyes my ASS!' Sakura thought.

She felt him move closer to her. Sakura scooted back a bit. Sakura knew what was coming next. She immediately jumped up out of the way as he leaned in to kiss her. Sakura threw a sidekick and sent him spinning to the floor. He landed with a soft thud on the plush white carpet. Sakura crouched down over Elliot and stared down at his necklace. She flipped it to the back to see if the black detector was still attached. It wasn't. Sakura smiled and yanked the necklace off the limp body. Sakura got up and stared down at him with an evil look. She turned and grabbed the wine bottle on the coffee table. She walked across to the balcony and flung the glass doors open. She flung the bottle out the window, sending it spinning through the air as it sprayed red liquid everywhere. After a few seconds, there was a small glass shattering below. Sakura pocketed the necklace in her pants and walked out of the room.

~~~~~~~~~ 

When Sakura came back into her room, Syaoran was standing in the middle of the room with a gun pointed at her.

"What are you doing?" Sakura asked innocently.

"Give me the necklace." Syaoran demanded.

"I don't know what you're talking about…" Sakura trailed off with sad eyes.

"Cut the crap. You know what I'm talking about." Syaoran answered coolly.

Sakura's sad lips curved up into a malicious smile. "I guess. Playing helpless really is not my style." Sakura walked over to the mini bar to the side of the room. Syaoran's gun followed her every move. Sakura raised up a glass towards Syaoran. "Want a drink?" Sakura filled the glass half way with champagne. "Guess not." Sakura took a small sip and threw the glass to the side. The glass hit the wall and shattered into millions of sharp pieces. 

"Was the whole betrayal thing a scene?" Syaoran asked.

"Aren't I the little actress?" Sakura smiled. She continued to move through the room towards the balcony.

"If you're thinking of escaping, not in this life." Syaoran replied.

"You know what your problem is? You American agents always seem to hold back. If it was me, I'd shoot and be done with it."

"We just choose to work things out civilized." 

"Yes. Well, being civilized obviously didn't save you father." Sakura's eyes glittered devilishly.

"How do you know about my father?" Syaoran cringed at the thought of his dead father.

"What was the story again? Oh yes, he died for his so-called country. His last mission was to break-up a drug ring that was affecting DC pretty badly. He was so close yet his emotions got in the way. To think your own mother was sneaking around your back all those years. Well, we all know what happened in the end. I was too young to have been there but I've heard. Yes, your father was the best, but not good enough. Or else he would still be alive right now." Sakura taunted. "We're not so different you know. Sad pasts, agents, you know, the whole thing going on right now."

"At least my father died for a cause, and I'm proud of that. I still hate the fact that my mother was involved, but I can't change what has been done. I will never be the man he was. He died with honor." Syaoran answered. "Why don't you just help the right side. I'm sorry for what happened to your father but by you working for Fang, it's only supporting the soul reason that your brother and father were killed, terrorism." Syaoran reasoned.

Sakura stood there staring at him in silence. A single tear rolled down her smooth cheek. Syaoran was beginning to think Sakura was opening up. Sakura smiled and flicked off the tear that had pooled at her chin. 

"Emotion is the key to anyone's destruction. And far as you and I are concerned, I am the best. The best have no weaknesses. My emotions have long been gone since my father and brother died. Don't sympathize for me. I'm not like you who let your feelings get the best of you." 

Just than, the balcony windows blasted open, shattering the glass along with the impact. Strong winds rushed into the room blowing the curtains out of control and everything else to the floor. A bright light shot into the room.

"Gotta run. We'll see each other again. Till then." Sakura ran out onto the balcony and stepped onto the railing in one swift motion. Before Syaoran could recollect himself from the sudden intrusion, Sakura had leaped off the railing and was in the air. She grabbed onto a rope ladder. The helicopter parted and flew into the night sky. Sakura sat inside as her hair whipped around her wildly from the cold air. She snuggled closer as Josh put an arm around her. 

"Good job. The wine bottle thing almost did kill someone but nevertheless it was an affective signal. We're finally going home, Chica." Josh gave Sakura's shoulder a squeeze and smiled. Sakura was silent and only stared out into the sky with the thought of what Syaoran had said earlier in her mind.

SouPop1004: Done! Hehe. There, chapter 7 is complete. Wasn't that a wild turn in the plot. Hehe…yeah, I'm that sort of person. Hehe…I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I thought I'd have lots of A/N at the bottom but guess not. Just wanted to say, there will be lots of twists and turns. Please review! Keeps me goin'. Also, suggestions and comments are very, very welcome. E-mail me at xxgodslight012xx@aol.com or just leave me one in your review. Thanks you guys! See you next chapter! 

PS. Never mind, I do have some things to say. Um, I know a lot of people are requesting for more S+S. Well I'm sorry, but there aren't any until after chapter 10. But the thing is, even though there isn't a lot of S+S from now and chapter 10, but important things happen. So I'm really sorry, but I promise to give you some lovin' after chapter 10. Hehe, so please, sit tight, and S+S is sure to come. But till then, you'll have lots to think about cause the plot takes dramatic effect for the next 2 or 3 chapters. Ja!

PPS. Since now I'm going to be updating in html form, I won't have to space things out so much. Sorry for the incredibly large spaces in this chapter. Next chapter will be more controlled. Thank you so much for sticking with this story. Please go check out Blind Fate. Thank you.


	8. To Conquer

SourPop1004: Here I am with chapter 8! Hehe…not much to say right now. See you guys at the bottom. I hope you enjoy.

PS. Someone had a question about Sakura and her betrayal last chapter. Um…Jack(Jacque) really was Sakura's fiancé until he cheated on her. The past and everything really did happen. It was just that when Fang planned the scene, Jack was at the wrong end of the bargain. He didn't know he was going to get killed, but for Sakura, she really didn't care cause she hated him so much already. There, question cleared so lets move on. Enjoy! 

The Salsa Dancer

By: Me!

Sakura sat in a white straw chair. She pulled her knees closer to her chest as she stared out into fields of orchards. Under the white sun, men and women were in the fields picking fruits and placing them into large round baskets. From where she was, they all looked like little ants. The gentle glows that flooded the white kitchen played with the display of crystal cups and bowls in Rosa's, their chief housekeeper, private collection cupboard. Tiny rainbows danced all around the large kitchen. Sakura closed her eyes and leaned back. 

The thoughts of Syaoran waved around in her head. His words to her from their last meeting were still fresh in her mind. They kept making her question what she did and whom she was doing it for. Could that insignificant man be right in any way? Sakura pondered some more until her brows furrowed together in frustration. This was NOT exactly what a young adult in her early twenties usually think about. She longed to be normal, whatever that meant. Yet she knew better. When she had been taken that moment when she was just 10, she knew and accepted that nothing would ever be the same. Her mind wandered off until it came across a violet-haired woman. Tomoyo Daidouji. She longed to talk to this woman, her past friend. Sakura mustered all her will to keep the thoughts of Tomoyo out of her head. Tomoyo was the only person that linked her to her past and yet here she was, not being able to do anything because of what she did. There was it again. The question of what she did. Was it wrong? Was it right? Sakura couldn't believe the mental conflict she was having with herself. It already had been at least 2 months since her last meeting with Syaoran. 

Sakura bolted out of the comfortable position she was in and quickly stormed down the halls towards the stairs. She went upstairs and again down a long hall. When she found the right door in the row of doors, she opened it and walked in. She looked around the large gym. In the center was a large mat with a punch bag in the center. Mirrors surrounded the room from wall to wall. Sakura walked over to the center of the mat and gave the bag a hard punch. The bag swung back and forth jingling the chains that it hung by. Sakura gave it a hard kick. The bag swung again. Sakura stopped it with both hands and leaned her forehead on the cool surface of the bag. Finding the frustration inside her again, she jumped back from the back and started to rain multiple blows at the bag. Perspiration flew from her face as she continued to pound down on the helpless bag. After a few moments, Sakura stopped. The room echoed of sharp intakes of breaths. Sakura slid to the floor as she stared down at the mat. Where are those tears when you need them?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Syaoran sat in his office doing the usual file work. He had been yelled at endlessly these past weeks after the escape of Sakura Kinomoto, but things had gone back to normal. The CIA and the government were in shambles. How could one woman screw a whole nation? He did not understand. 

  
Lately, the nuclear vault that was in threat was under extra protection and guarding. The reason things were so quiet was partly because Yoritomo was away on business and mostly because he was away in a meeting with the military generals discussing a way to solve this mess. So everyone hoped that there would soon be a solution to this 'little' problem. 

Syaoran thought back to what he had said to her and what she had told him. He still couldn't believe how bitter she was. He tried to push all his thoughts away and went turned back to the stack of files on his desk. He tried drowning himself in work but looked up when there was a knock on the door. The glass door opened and Jessie walked in.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sakura was still sitting on the mat after an hour. Her tears still hadn't come. Was she a monster that couldn't cry or feel? Or was she meant to be the top agent. The best as she had put it. She looked up from the ground when she heard someone in the doorway. Josh was leaning on the frame of the door with a smile.

"Hey Chica." 

"Hey." Sakura forced a smile on to her pale face. 

"What you doing there all alone?" Josh walked over to where Sakura was sitting and sat down next to her.

"Just thinking and stuff." There was momentary silence.

"Are you thinking about Agent Li?" Josh questioned through the silent room. Sakura looked at him with a quizzical look.

"What?"

"Did anything happen? Did he do anything to you?" Josh kept questioning and Sakura just sat there stunned.

"Wh-what? Why would he do anything to me?" Sakura asked.

"When I saw you and him in Paris, I saw the way he looked at you."

"Looked at me how? Josh, you're going crazy over nothing. Nothing happened. Why would anything happen? I think you're overreacting." Sakura laughed but she was in deep thought. Her mind was about to wander off again when she felt him hug her tightly. She was speechless. "Umm…Josh, you ok?" Sakura asked weakly, not knowing what to say. He pulled away from her and stared into her eyes. She was about to ask him what was wrong but was stopped when he placed his mouth over hers. Sakura's eyes widened and her mind fell into shambles. She was about to pull away when Josh beat her to it. He wobbled and got up. He stared down at her with blank eyes.

"Papito wants to talk to you in his meeting room." He simply replied and walked out of the room.

Sakura was left on the mat confused and for the first time, in a violent tornado of emotions. Why did she want to pull away? Was it because Josh was too much of a family? (Just a side note, they are NOT related. Eww…) Or was it because of Syaoran? Why did she feel like she was cheating on Syaoran when in fact she had nothing to do with the man?

~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Fang was sitting at the head of the table. Around him were other men representing various countries all over the world. When Sakura entered, they all looked towards her way. Josh was already seated at the corner of the room with a palm pilot. Fang stood up and motioned for Sakura to come closer. 

"I want you all to greet my daughter and our top agent, Cereza." Fang introduced Sakura. Sakura smiled and lightly bowed.

"Please, have a seat next to Josh." Sakura obeyed and sat down in an empty chair next to Josh. There was an awkward tension between her and Josh. Sakura didn't like it. Sakura diverted her attention back to Fang when he spoke up. "Gentlemen, I am here to give you a chance to align with me. As you all already know, I have in possession all three keys that open the vault in D.C. I am sure I can penetrate and seize the nuclear weapons, so all I ask is for your alliance. Now, you do understand that this really is NOT a choice you can make. You either join and safely wake up every morning or not wake up at all. And I'm sure that would be very displeasing. If death is far too painless in my eyes, I have everything in the world to torture you. With the information I was able to obtain thanks to my top agent, public humiliation and black mail will surely drive out your business clients of any sort. To put it blandly, that is." Fang smiled evilly.

"Why us?" One man asked.

"Well, you each have a special connection that I would very much like to use. For example, trading ports, armies, technology, the whole works. In simpler terms, you all have something to offer me. In return, out of the goodness of my heart, you each will receive 7.5% of all my profits as you can see in that portfolio I have provided you. I do not wish to be remembered as cruel. If it takes sharing my profit, so be it." Fang explained with a velvety voice.

"Alright, but what do intend on doing with your weapons?" A Chinese man asked.

"I am about to create the world's most lethal and largest black market. I will do as I please with all the weapons but I know of a certain buyer in the Middle East that is dying to get his hands on one of the nuclear bombs. Of course, I would have the upper hand in all deals, because, as you already know, when I say no one will ever double cross me, NO ONE will double cross me. I will not specify for I believe all this information is private." Fang looked around. "That is all I will say. Please, take the portfolios and read it over. I would like every portfolio back to me by 3 p.m. tomorrow signed. Also, if I find that anyone of you has contacted the police or any other authority, I will be forced to dispose you. Have a good afternoon Gentlemen. Refreshments and snacks will be served downstairs." Fang motioned for the two guards at the door. The two led the group of men down the hall and stairs to the dining area. 

Fang turned to Josh and Sakura.

"Cereza, I will assemble a small force to accompany you to D.C. I will send a large backup undercover. Tomorrow, we take control of the world." Fang gave her a look of power and strength before walking out of the room.

Sakura stared and sat down again. Josh was still quiet writing down all info in his palm pilot.

"So everything leads up to here." Sakura quietly commented.

Josh set down his palm pilot on his lap and looked up at her. "I guess you could say that." Sakura turned to look at him. 

"Do you think we'll come out of this alive?" Sakura asked barely over a whisper.

"We always do, Chica. We always do." Josh answered trying to sooth her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

To put in light words, the CIA and D.C. were in frantic confusion and fear. True that it had been a month or two but they all knew Fang would strike. Everyone regretted not arresting Fang earlier. If only they had broken the rule of innocent until proven guilty they all wouldn't be in this mess. But they couldn't change what has already been done. So the best they could do was pray and hope that they would be able to stop this. 

Syaoran, Tano, Jessie, and Yoritomo had flown to D.C. to meet with the country's generals and president. Currently, they were all at a meeting.

"Mr. President, we really need to take action now. Who knows when Fang and his men will attack the vault? Our country is at stake here!" A general shouted.

"I know General Miller. With our minds all worked up, we may cause a flaw in our planning and that will do us no good. Please, quell your anger. We must devise a plan to bring Mr. Lobo down. For all we know, he may attack tomorrow, today, any day. So I propose that we send a group to Colombia and triple the guard of the vault." The president firmly stated and everyone agreed. "We will get to work as soon as possible. Our CIA department will mainly be in charge of a team to Colombia. I want all your men to be ready for a war." He turned to Yoritomo and then to the generals.

All of them nodded and split into different directions. Soon as the meeting ended, people immediately started ringing up their cell phones and started yelling out directions. If all fails, they all knew war was their last resort. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

The sun hadn't even risen, yet the mansion was a bustle. Today was the day history would be made. A history of a conquest. A conquest of the world.

In the secret base of Fang's mansion, Sakura and a large group of men were all ready to begin the day. They were all in black jumpsuits with guns and utility belts. Sakura was in a pair of tight black pants, black leather lace-up boots (the ones she usually wears: pointed tips with sharp heels. Yay! ^_^), black turtleneck, black sunglasses, a pair of black leather gloves, and a long black leather coat that almost touched the ground (Think Matrix ^_~). She strapped a gun and knife around her right thigh and placed a black holster around her and let it hang on the side of her chest under her coat. (The ones that cops use.) Blood would be spilled today and she would be part of it all. Sakura didn't like to kill without a purpose but it was her job. It was time for her game face. Today would be the riskiest mission yet for her but it wasn't anything unmanageable. It was the job that made her strong. It was the job that made her emotionless. It was the job that made her the best. The job was a good thing. Right?

The mob of men were splitting into groups and getting into their choppers.

"I want the least men aboard on choppers 2,3,5, and 6!" Sakura's voice rang through the large warehouse.

Sakura got into a private one with Josh beside her. He was dressed the same: all black with a leather coat, sunglasses, and a thin laptop in his right hand. As the large metal doors opened, choppers hovered and flew out of the base one by one. Sakura's chopper was the 3rd to go from the 12. They did have more men but the rest were coming only if back up was needed. As the blades of the chopper spun faster and faster, kicking up dust form the base floor, Sakura's golden hair flipped around wildly in its ponytail high on top of her head. Yes, she had decided to change back to her true self for this mission for it was probably her last. If they were to succeed in acquiring the nuclear weapons, the world would be under Fang's control and there would be no use of her to do anything like regular missions. It was true that the UN would put up a fight against them but what the world doesn't realize is that when Fang takes control, every bloody criminal of any sort would rise to roam freely in their new empire. Of course, Fang would make sure they were all in line but it was still a frightening thought. To unleash such unpleasantries was a dangerous move, yes it was, but she had confidence that her 'father' would reign supremacy. At the thought of her last and most important mission, Sakura smiled. Josh looked at her.

"What are you smiling at?" Josh asked.

"You do realize whether we succeed or fail today, this will probably be our last mission?" Sakura asked with curved lips as she pulled down her sunglasses and peered over them.

"Yeah?" Josh answered a smile creeping up the corners of his lips.

"So lets make this last one look damn good." Sakura pushed back her glasses and her lips stretched into a larger smile at the sight of Josh laughing.

The raid of choppers flew over the clear blue ocean just as the morning lights sailed across the water to reach the sleeping civilians up ahead. Boy, were they in for a surprise. 

~~~~~~~~~~~ 

The president, generals, and any other representatives of the government were in a large room at the Pentagon for their last meeting before taking separate actions. They were in deep conversation when a man in an army jump suit rushed into the room. The door burst open with a loud bang and the young man was panting uncontrollably. One of the generals, seeing that the young man was from his division, stood up.

"What is it Officer?" The general demanded.

The officer kept panting until he caught his breath and screamed out. "They're coming! Our radar located them off the coast of the Atlantic. They'll be here in 20 minutes!"

The room burst in gasps and shouts. Men ran around frantically with directions.

"I want you to lock your targets on the choppers. NOW! Tell Alane to use the base guns at Port 132." One general yelled out. Quickly, the young man ran out of the room to distribute his orders.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sakura's smile disappeared when she heard one of the pilots in another chopper over the intercom.

"We have a situation here. Enemy has spotted us. We are being fired upon. Break formation, now!" The man shouted.

Immediately the group parted and split into different directions. Sakura took off her seatbelt and jumped to the front seat where she quickly signaled for the other choppers.

"Formation 53. Chopper 3,5, and 6, target lock at 23 degrees down. Look for the source of the fire! Now! Now!" Sakura shouted instructions into the communicator.

Quickly, four planes fell out of the commanded formation and the fired down bellow. After a few seconds, the smoke cleared and the base where the fires were coming from was in ruins. Sakura smiled. She knew this was only the beginning and they had already lost a chopper, which held 7 people. Only 10 more choppers remained to complete this mission. 

"Good job boys, but this is only the beginning. Prepare yourselves." Sakura warned.

~~~~~~~~~~ 

"Sir, our base on Port 132 is down. Now what?" The woman named Alane looked up at her general as she sat watching the computer screen. Men and women were busy all around them running around and shouting out codes.

"I'm sure that they'll fly over the building the vault is in. That leaves us time for a last attempt of an air strike. In the mean time I want a large force set up to guard the vault. Get Captain Grayson on the line."

Alane nodded and hooked up a call. Captain Grayson was on speaker.

"Yes General?"

"We need an air strike within 10 minutes. Can we arrange it?"

"Like old times, Houston. Like old times." 

"We need your men to try and lure them away from the city." 

"My men will be there in 5." The speaker turned off.

General Houston gave a rueful smile. They would all survive or die trying.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

After a couple of minutes, Sakura peered down at the city below. She watched as tiny little figures of people evacuated the city. This was it. Her mission was nearing. Her attention quickly darted to the sound in the sky. When she looked up, she saw 5 jet planes coming their way. 'Damn it…' she thought bitterly. She grabbed the communicator and spoke into it.

"Listen up. I want choppers 2,3, and 5 to distract the planes. The rest of us will try to get to the building. We'll call for extra aid. 2,3, and 5, try to hold out as long as you can. We just need to be in the air for 5 more minutes." Sakura hooked the mic back onto the devise and turned to Josh.

"I'm already calling. We just have to worry about making it to the building."

Missiles whistled though the air as it barely hit a chopper. As one of the jet planes whisked by, a gunman in the chopper shot with a machinegun. A row of holes striped the side of the enemy plane until finally, a few seconds after the hit, the plane exploded into a huge black smoke with orange flames sailing through the sky. 

Sakura watched as the three choppers succeeded in distracting the 5 planes. To her dismay, 2 of them came chasing after the ramaining choppers. 

"Release the missiles!" Sakura shouted again into the communicator. Missiles shot through the air as it stroke the surprised enemy. Another plane blew up into smithereens and smoke proceeded to cloud the sky. As a total, 5 choppers were down by the time they destroyed all the enemy planes. Only 6 left to carryout this mission. Sakura knew it'd be a while before back up would successfully reach them. They were hovering over the building. Who would have thought the vault would be disguised under a large clothing company? Each chopper rolled dozens of coils of rope. Men with their armed selves flew down the rope and landed on the roof of the building with thuds. 

The men assembled into neat rows waiting for Sakura and Josh to come. When they arrived and landed, the men had their guns in position.

"You all know what to do. Good luck and may we see each other at the end of this." Sakura announced.

The men kicked down the door that led to the stairs that would lead them inside the building. As security poured out onto the roof in an attempt to stop the attacks, they were all shot and dead before anyone could say anything. Sakura winced as men lay dead on the ground but pushed the feeling away. This was the one time her emotionless self was needed the most. 

Her army cleared her and Josh's way down the stairs and into the building. Even though she was well protected by the army behind her and in front of her, she still had her gun out. (Imagine the movie Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever. Lucy Lu looks really good in that movie. I'm basing Sakura after her.) 

By the time they reached the main floor after fending off all the security, to her relief, their back up had come. As more men rushed in, more security and guard met them. Sakura and Josh and a small group for security left the blood scene and made their way to the elevator that would lead them down to the vault. 

"Can you disconnect it?" Sakura asked turning to Josh.

"Give me a sec. This is a lot more advanced than I thought. There are sensors all the way down the tunnel and if anyone so much as breathes too loudly, we'll be locked in. and there are no stairs." Josh continued to wildly type away at his laptop. (The elevator thing was an idea from Ocean's Eleven. I love that movie. Hehe…) "Ok, from what I can tell, the two metal doors that trap us can be blown up but the thing is within that small space, we'll be blown away too, so any ideas? We need to think fast." Josh looked up at Sakura.

She thought for a second before taking charge once more. "Is there a way we can cut the sensors?"

"Hmm…got it! Everyone listen up. I'll reprogram the elevator so every 2 minutes the sensors shut off for exactly the amount of time taken for the ride to make it down to the vault. Soon as you arrive, hurry and get out. So, get into small groups and ride down the elevator. We'll be going first. Lets move it!" Josh shouted over the loud shouts and gun shots. 

"Won't they just manually shut the elevator while we're on our way down?" Sakura asked.

"They won't. Our men took care of the technician operator on this floor. I'm not sure about the ones downstairs but all we can do is hope."

When the elevator opened, Josh and Sakura stepped in with two other officers and made their way down to the vault. Sakura was reloading her shotgun. With the click telling her it was loaded, Sakura patiently waited for the metal doors to slide open.

"Everyone, hide to the side, their security will be coming in."

An officer and Josh put their back to one side of the elevator while Sakura and the other officer did the same on the opposite side of the elevator. Sakura heard the officers and Josh getting their guns ready. When the metal doors slid open, instantly, from outside, bullets battered the back wall of the elevator. When the guns stopped, Sakura jumped out and shot every guard square on their chests. The four quickly stepped out of the elevator so it could make its second trip up. The four watched as more men ran their way with guns. Quickly, they ran to the side in search of a hiding place. Sakura jumped behind a wall of crates. Her breath quickened but not enough to be called adrenaline. She quickly ran out of her hiding place and shot her gun. Seeing the men all fall to the floor, she ran over to the nearest body and took a gun from the man's cold hand. When she saw more men spot her and run after her, she quickly ran for cover.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"They've already broken though and are right in front of the vault! Now what?" A man shouted through a phone. General Houston felt panic run over him. 

"I want more men down there. We must protect the vault with all we've got. And get me Yoritomo on the phone."

After the man hung up, Yoritomo was soon on the phone. "Yoritomo, I want you to assemble some men and go after Fang himself." After a few minutes of talking, they hung up. Soon, a group would be flying over to Colombia to personally take out Fang. General Houston rubbed his temples as a headache was quickly spreading. This was going to be long and hard. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

After 20 minutes of blood and sweat, all the guards were down.

"Come on Josh, we need to get this done with!" Sakura shouted.

Josh ran over to the vault as he whipped out his laptop. "Got the keys?"

Sakura took out two white plastic card keys and a pendant. She handed it to Josh who placed them into the slots on the metal panel. The red light turned yellow. Now they needed handprints of the three men. Josh fumbled in his inner pockets for something. Sakura's lips curved.

"You better have not lost them." Sakura warned jokingly.

"Nope, got 'em right here." Josh pulled out three rubber gloves. "Put 'em on." 

The two put the glove on their right hands. 

"We need a third person. We can't reach the two of the panels." Sakura looked around and called for a standing officer.

When they built the vault, they made it so a single person couldn't reach two of the hand print panels at the same time. Also, to clear the final security, they had to press at the same time on the first try or else the alarm would go off and they'd be trapped in the building.

An officer with a wounded leg dragged himself over to where Sakura and Josh were. As he neared, Sakura ran to help him. The man still has his helmet on and it covered his face.

"Come on, you can do it." Sakura encouraged. She placed the glove on his right hand and helped him to stand up. "Ok, on the count of three, we place out hands." Everyone nodded. "One…two…three!" The three placed their hands on the panels and the neon blue light scanned the hands. After a few seconds, the yellow light turned green and that was that.

"Chica, I need to be here so the vault doesn't shut on you. You know what to do once inside. If you need help, just call." Josh smiled as he hooked up his laptop to the panel. Sakura bent down and kissed his cheek. 

"I'll be back." Sakura got up and ran in as the heavy metal doors opened. The officer looked blankly at Josh.

"Go in with her. She might need some help or something." Josh answered. He watched as the officers went in after her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"They're in sir. Now what?" Alane turned her worried face towards the general.

"Damn it! There isn't anything we can do. We can't attack them for we know it might cause a chain reaction that might set off the nuclear bomb. There isn't anything for us to do then wait for news from the Colombia mission." He plopped down into an empty seat as he rubbed the back of his head. This was not good at all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

An over stuffed armchair was facing the roaring fire. The door to Fang's private office broke down as a team of armed men rushed in. They carefully approached the chair as the flames danced wildly casting shadows on the walls. One of the men put his gun closer to his chest as he prepared to shoot. When he jumped in front of the chair, no one was there. The man looked surprised and dumfound. His eyes soon widened at the sight of an old fashioned clock. The second hand ticked as it neared 12.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sakura had perched her glasses on top of her head and was working on reprogramming the control board for the missiles. Sakura's attention turned when she heard the wounded officer enter. Sakura turned back and continued to work. After a few seconds, she was done. She got up from her bent position and faced the officer. Sakura walked past to officer when he grabbed her arm. She turned to look up at the tall man.

"What are you doing?" Sakura asked forcefully. She watched as the man took off his helmet and dropped it to the floor. The helmet fell with a plastic sound as it hit the floor. "Wha-?" Sakura was confused as she peered up at a man in his early 30s or late 20s. Something about the man was familiar to her. She kept staring into his face with confusion, fear, and sorrow. She felt her eyes water for some reason. A tear rolled down her smooth cheek. The officer brushed them away with his thumb.

"Don't cry." The officer replied as he hugged her. Sakura just stood there dazed. 

SourPop1004: Chapter 8 is done! Phew…haha…I know I ended in a cliffy. I hate cliffhangers but this seemed right and it would give me a reason for chapter 9. Hehe…anyway, I have no idea how to end the story at this point. Anyway, this chapter was indeed action, action, action. A rush of drama at the end and blah blah. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I assure you S+S will come sooner or later. Hehe…Anyway, if you have any suggestions, questions, or guesses on who this mysterious officer is, put it in your review or e-mail me at xxgodslight012xx@aol.com. See you guys next chapter! 

PS. Chapter 11 is coming along nicely. Thank you all so much for reviewing and waiting. 

PPS. Um…the kiss I threw into this chapter was completely random but didn't any of you get the impression that Josh kind of likes Sakura? Anyway…yeah. Enough talk. Check you later!


	9. Remeber Me

SourPop1004: Hello! The suspense! Haha…I hope you enjoy this chapter and I'll see you at the bottom a/n. 

The Salsa Dancer

By: The one and only Meeh!

Sakura's trance was broken when she felt him hug her in a tight embrace. For a few seconds she didn't know what to do, but the situation, the mission, reached her mind. She abruptly broke away from the officer and wiped her wet cheeks with the back of her coat sleeves. Her lost expression disappeared and her mask returned. 

"What are you doing, Officer?" Sakura demanded as she looked at the man with a level gaze. 

"It's me…" The man was quickly cut off when Josh ran into the control room. Sakura turned towards Josh.

"What is it?"

"Papito will be arriving in 10 minutes. I just got a call saying he wants us to position the remaining men to guard the rest of the building. He'll be expecting us in the White House. Did you get everything I asked you to get?" Josh looked at Sakura. For a second there he thought he saw tearstains on her face. Maybe he was hallucinating. 

"Yeah. Now the nuclear controls are linked to your laptop. All that is left is for you to put your security on the original control."

Josh nodded and quickly typed away at his laptop. Finishing some last touches, he closed his laptop. "We're set. Lets go." He turned to look at the officer. "You're dismissed. You may stay here and guard with the others."

"No. I want him to come with us. They might try to pull something over us. It'd be good to have an extra gun." Sakura interrupted.

"But he's wounded." Josh reasoned and looked at the man's bleeding leg.

"No, I'm fine." The man tried to sound convincing. He had wrapped a piece of cloth tightly around his leg to stop the bleeding.

"Fine. I really don't care." Josh ended the conversation. "Come on, we don't want to be late."

The three walked out of the vault. Sakura placed the card keys back into her inner pocket, safely.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sakura was ahead of the three as they stepped out of the building and onto the streets. Any remaining guards were being held against the wall by Fang's men. Sakura made sure her sunglasses were in place before looking up into the sky where the sun was high. 

"Now what? Are we going to walk there?" Sakura asked turning to Josh.

"Can you jack a car?" Josh smiled.

Sakura laughed. She walked over to a red Corvette on the street and took out her gun. She aimed at the window and pulled the trigger. The driver seat side window shattered, causing the alarm to go off. Sakura stuck her gloved hand in and unlocked the car. She opened the car door and brushed the pieces of glass out from the seat. She sat down and reached under to the area right above the pedals to hot-wire the car. When the car's engine jolted to life, the alarm stopped. She sat back and looked out the door.

"Get in." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

A man in a black suit holding a phone walked over to the President.

"Sir, it's a call from Senor Lobo." The man informed.

The President looked serious as he picked up the phone and listened.

"Mr. President. I'm sure you know who this is. I just wanted to call before I made a stop to your humble home." 

"How'd you get this number?" The President wondered, because the number Fang had called through was a number only known by a few.

"I believe that does not matter. What matters is our current issue."

"Yes, yes."

"Now, I shall be stopping by shortly. I'd be grateful if we could meet in front of the White House to discuss some matters. Please feel free to bring security for I do not mind. You may bring an entire army but I am in control of the bomb so please keep that in mind. Oh and please don't try to track this number. It has been blocked. Pleasant day Sir." Fang commented before hanging up the phone. 

The President was speechless. He was not dealing with a normal man. His thoughts wandered aimlessly, but were snapped back to reality when another man in a suit walked into the room.

"Sir, 3 of Fang's escorts are here. Do we let them in?"

The President nodded.

Sakura pulled the car through the opening gates of the White House. As she drove through the curving entrance road, she saw a row of men dressed in black lined up watching her. (MIB. Haha…how funny.) Sakura parked the car and got out. When the three walked towards the door to meet the President, she felt the rows of men watching their every move. When the President walked down the steps to meet them half way, he was followed by military generals, Yoritomo, Syaoran, and Jessie. 

"I assume you're Fang's escort."

"You assume right. He'll be here in a few minutes." Sakura replied curtly. She skimmed through who was behind him. Her eyes spotted Yoritomo, Syaoran, and Jessie. Sakura's lips curved into a malicious smile. "Agent Li, please give my greetings to Tano. I'm sure he's wondering why Lisa hasn't called for that tour of his workplace." She watched Syaoran's eyes narrow into a dangerous glare. Her eyes diverted to where Jessie stood. She had look of venom in her pretty eyes. Sakura's amused smile disappeared when Syaoran spoke to her.

"I know you understand me?" He spoke to her in Japanese. Sakura's eyes turned cold. "Why are you doing this? You are only killing more innocent people. Wasn't your real dad an innocent? Would he be proud of you now? Seeing his daughter slaughtering men right and left?" Syaoran spoke to her in an even tone. Everyone around them looked at Syaoran with confused eyes. Yoritomo understood.

Sakura's emerald eyes turned darker behind her glasses. "Haven't I made it clear to you the last time we met. I don't have feelings. This world's gray and colorless to my eyes. I do what I do because it keeps me strong. Do you know what the hardest thing to accomplish in this world is? It's being able to control your feelings. I was able to accomplish that and I'm using it to my advantage. You know how much more free you are when you don't care?" 

"Just because of your own selfish being, thousands of people are going to die! Do you really want that? Have you ever loved anyone? Do you know what love is? Maybe you'll realize what you're doing is wrong. And the cause you're helping is the wrong one." Syaoran's deep eyes seemed to penetrate her.

Inside, anger was rising, but she was able to control it. All the smallest of feelings she had towards him seemed to amplify, but at the same time disappear. What came out next was under complete control. No emotions or a single flare of anger. "Don't talk to me about love. Stop acting like some older brother that you're not. Love dies. Everything dies. Everything always dies. Like you and I. We're bound to die by fate. The work we do isn't exactly of the safest. For all you know, I can end up killing you." Syaoran's penetrating gaze was fading as she felt her own gaze bore through her glasses and through Syaoran, who was silent.

Their attentions all turned away from the tense scene when a gust of powerful winds smoothed out the green grass in front of the White House. A chopper lowered and gently landed on the grass. Fang stepped out with the help of one of his men. Fang walked across the lawn with a suitcase.

"Mr. President." Fang gave a gesture of greeting. He smiled even though there was none on the President's face. "Should we speak inside? Where there's a table? You'll be signing some things."

~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Fang was seated across from the President in a round coffee table. Josh and the officer stood neatly behind Fang while Sakura was standing beside Fang himself.

"Mr. Lobo, why do you wish me to sign anything when you can just force me. As to seeing that you have done that very well so far." The President's glare was cold.

"Mr. President. I may be forceful but I am still a businessman. I'd just like for you to sign a paper of dispatching all American soldiers and intelligence out of Colombia. And also, I'd like you to sign the second form, which gives us full control of the Vault. And some other things but those two I believe are the most important as of this moment." Fang smiled.

"I would never do such a thing that submits to a terrorist's demand." He spat.

"Do not be so difficult. The bomb is already in our hands. You quite have no choice." Fang explained with that smile still plastered on.

Sakura stood there by his side solemnly. She took out her gun and was quietly screwing a long narrow cylinder to the hole of the gun, a silencer. (The narrow barrel thing is used to silence a gunshot's noise. Usually used to make a silent murder.) The men standing behind the President quickly took out their guns and were ready to strike.

"Don't." The President motioned them to put down their weapons.

"So what will it be Mr. President. Sign or die." Fang sat back in his chair as he watched the man across him think. Sakura was holding the gun down towards the floor, ready for any actions.

"First, I must know. What will you do with the nuclear weapons?"

"That's really not your concern."

"Of course it is! I'm about to put my country into more mud than it already is!" He shook with anger.

"I see you are complexed. I shall be a merciful businessman and give you two days to respond to my request. But you must realize the Vault will still be under my control. Since my home has been destroyed, I shall be in town these two days so please, give me a call with your decision. You can reach me through this phone." Sakura slid a cell phone across the table. "Any attempt to get the Vault back or to track me down and threaten me personally…lets just say you'll be able to experience the Big Bang theory first hand." Fang smiled his last smile and got up. He got his suitcase and walked out of the room and towards the front door. Sakura walked out of room with her black coat sailing behind her. One vision Syaoran knew he'd always remember. (Dramatic…hehe…Matrixy and all…) 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sakura lay on her large bed. The cool sheets tangled around her legs. She closed her eyes and felt the night air whirl into the room. The white chiffon curtains fluttering in the gentle breeze. The night sky was sprinkled with shattered sparkling diamonds. The moon was high on a clear dark sky. Sakura's brows furrowed at a memory that had been buried deep in her mind.

+++++dream

"Daddy! Play with me! Pwease!" A little girl in cute pigtails jumped up and down with a board game. "Pwease!" Her pigtails bounced along with her chubby little self.

A man with glasses took the board game from the little girl with a smile " Alright. Just once. Ok?"

"Yay!" the little girl cheered with delight. She hopped around the room in a dance. The father laughed as he set up the game. He looked up when he heard someone running down the stairs. A woman with long wavy violet hair ran down the stairs and towards the door. She screeched to a halt when she heard her husband.

"Where are you going in a such a hurry?" He laughed.

"I'm going to the market."

"We just went yesterday. The fridge is really full."

"Oh, umm…I forgot to get something. Be right back Hon." She turned towards the door, grabbed her keys and was out the door in a second. The man with glasses shrugged and turned back to the game he was setting up. 

"Sakura, come, it's your turn." He smiled at his little angel who smiled a toothy grin.

+++++end of dream

Sakura's eyes fluttered open. She got up and sat down with cold sweat rolling down the side of her face. She wiped them away and stared out into the dark room.

Sakura's head was starting to hurt. She hated these pains. Whenever she tried to remember something from the past, her head felt like it was ripping apart. Sakura placed her head down onto the cool bed and tried to relax. What was so significant about this dream? Sakura slowly rose back and stared out the open balcony. She realized that Josh had booked them to a very beautiful hotel. _God…from now on, life is going to be crazy…_ She thought. Her mind wandered for a few seconds until it fell on that officer she had talked to. He seemed to have known her, but how could that be when she didn't know him at all? Or did she? She would have to talk to him again. But when?

~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Syaoran lay in his bed with his eyes wide open. He had also checked into a hotel. (A different one.) Now he was alone in the dark thinking about what Sakura had said to him earlier. How did everything come to be so crazy? How did that one woman make him so confused about life? To his surprise, he had lifted his left hand and was staring at his ring. It shined under the gentle glow of the moon.

The phone on his bed stand vibrated. Syaoran picked up the phone. After a few minutes, he hung up and quickly got up from his bed. He walked over to the coffee table and opened his laptop. Quickly typing away, his eyes narrowed as they skimmed through a page of information.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Knowing she couldn't go back to sleep, she decided to take a walk.

It was dark and the streets were abandoned. Only street lights lit the streets. As she walked down the empty sidewalk she came across a stray newspaper lightly flapping in the night breeze. She picked it up to see on the front page a picture of choppers flying over the city. She unfolded the paper and saw the caption, 'D.C Attacked!'. She knew it would be like this for every newspaper. She dropped the pages to the floor and continued to walk. She wrapped her coat tightly around her to block out the cold. She stopped walking when she felt her cell phone vibrate in her pocket. She flipped out her white phone and put it to her ear.

"Come to the front of the Starbucks at the corner of the street." Before she could say anything, the man hung up.

Sakura decided to follow the man's instructions and walked faster down the sidewalk towards the Starbucks that was just behind the corner. When Sakura got there, a man in a trench coat and hat stood. 

"Who are you? What do you want?" Sakura questioned.

The man removed his hat and Sakura just stared. Syaoran stood there with an object in his right hand and his other hand in his pocket.

"You? What do you want?" Sakura asked with threatening eyes.

"I did a little research and I thought it was time you learned how your father died." Syaroan answered.

"I already know how he died! I don't need you telling me the story over." Sakura's voice was a bit high.

Syaoran stuck out the disk he was holding and shoved it at her. Sakura took it without a choice. "Well I hope you know 'why' he died." Syaoran challenged.

"What do you mean 'why'?" Sakura was now a bit confused.

"Just look over the disk. Don't worry, it's not bugged. I wouldn't do that at this point." Syaoran answered and turned around. "As far as I'm concerned, this visit never happened." He put back his hat and walked towards his car. He got in and drove off. Sakura just stood there as she held the disk to her chest. 

"…so it wasn't an accident?" Sakura whispered to herself. 

She had been standing there for half an hour just staring out into the empty street where Syaoran had driven off. Then the early lights of dawn started to peer over the city. The dim, gray sky was starting to brighten into bluer ones. She realized she had to get back. She turned around and ran back to the hotel. As she ran, millions of lost thoughts crashed together in her head again. The same sickening dizzy feeling was returning.

~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sakura had taken a shower and was neatly dressed. Yesterday had been the messy part of the mission. Now it was going to either get messier or roll smoothly. She doubted the latter. Dressed in a pair of ripped jeans, a big white shirt, a large sports jacket (the kind jocks wear), and a pair of Adidas sneakers. She opened the backpack she was holding in her right hand and checked to see if the disk was in there. She couldn't afford to have anyone finding that disk, especially Papito. Who knew what was on that disk? She had decided to visit a private library to open the disk in case anything harmful was in it. 

She confirmed that the disk was safe and pulled out a small round pocket mirror. She glanced at her reflection: short, dark blue hair flipped out professionally, no make up, and a black Nike cap pulled over her head, which cast a shadow on face. She smiled and put the mirror away. No one would know it was her. Not even Papito or Josh. She proceeded down the hall towards the elevator with her backpack slung over her right shoulder and her ripped baggy jeans dragging on the floor. 

(Don't ask where she gets her clothes. A spy never reveals her secrets.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sakura looked around cautiously as she strolled into the library. Instantly, heads turned towards the stranger but returned to their original positions. Sakura ignored them and walked over to the computer area. She pulled out the chair and sat down in front of a large screen. She took out the disk from her bag and popped it into the computer. She dropped her bag on the floor and waited for the disk to load. When the file popped up on the desktop, she dragged the arrow over and opened it. She hesitated but she knew she had to face whatever was in the folder. Her eyes widened as it scanned the screen. It was a report on a murder. Fujitaka Kinomoto's to be exact. Her eyes started to water but she held back tears. This could have been some sort of lie, but she knew it wasn't. She continued to scan the report until she stopped at the evidence section. There were a total of three bodies that had arrived from Japan that day, but only one was found. 'What? That means…' Sakura thought with a skip in her heart. Her head started to hurt again. Images of a small glittery blue stone, a phone call, and a man searching a limp bloodied body flashed in her head. What did it mean? Sakura wasn't sure but she knew it was all connected some how. She immediately thought of the officer from yesterday. She needed to have a talk with that man. Sakura took out the disk and put it in her backpack. She picked up her bag and was out the door. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sakura walked down the street under the white sun. She pulled her black cap even more over her eyes. She was on her way back to the hotel when two cars came flying the road and screeched to a stop right next to Sakura. Sakura jerked around to look at what was going on. Before she knew it, a man in a suit had a gun out. Her hands flew up to her neck where a small needle had pierced through her skin. She pulled the tranquilizer out and threw it to the ground. She lunged towards the guy who had shot her but before she could reach him, blackness took over her. Her body fell limp as the man caught her and carried her into the car.

SourPop1004: This chapter was shorter but I thought this would be a great cliffhanger (again…). Hehe, well, I hope you enjoyed it. I have to admit, this chapter wasn't THAT interesting, action wise, but it definitely adds to the plot. There are a few things I would like to say in response to your wonderful reviews.

I want to start by saying sorry for the late update. I think I was late by like a day of my two weeks max rule. Anyway, spring break is around the corner so that means more writing for me. I can get chapter 12 rolling and hopefully anywhere near the end of TSD. ^ ^ 

Someone asked how many movies I watched. Hehe… apparently A LOT! Haha… yes. I'm a complete movie junkette. I'm a total sucker for spy/007/Jackie Chan/Action movies. Hehe…

Also, the identity of the Officer will remain anonymous but it's SO OBVIOUS who it is. Um… I have plans for that "Person" in the future chapters. 

Let's see…this is chapter 9…so…Eriol's debut is really REALLY near. Next chapter. Yup… Eriol is finally coming out and Tomoyo will appear again. (Am I giving away too much? Yes…)

Um…to Senior Robin. Put a sock in it! You're so mean. I know it's not POSSIBLE to get away from an air strike with minimal damages but who said there were minimal damages? Anyway, you annoy me so I will disregard anything that you have to say to me in the future. ^ ^ 

Oh yes, in the next chapter, I believe, you'll be acquainted with more info on the death of Fujitaka Kinomoto. 

And OMG! I forgot to mention this. A very critical part of the story: *Clears throat* a new character will appear and I know it'll knock your socks off! (Of course…if you're not wearing any then…YOU GET MY POINT! Right?) Anyway, for you to figure out who it is, you must be an Alias expert. My plot line is very closely intertwined with the plot of Alias. (Not every detail but the main stuff.) So if you can match up the characters with their Alias counterparts, I think you'll be able to figure out who the new character will be. And as for those who are sadly clueless to the Alias world, you'll just have to wait and suffer until I post up the next chapter. Muahaha…I feel evil. Anyway, thank you so much for the reviews and keep 'em coming. ~Ja

PS. This is just a side note, but something crazy happened. Ok, my future story line which I wrote WAY earlier then last week's Alias episode, partly came true. ::Gasp:: Anyway, other than the fact that I learned SO MUCH from last Sunday's episode on general spy stuff, I feel very 007. I'm starting to talk the talk and walk the walk. AND NOW WRITE THE WRITE!!! Ok…that was lame. Anyway, I just had to share that tid bit of info. 


	10. Truth Be Told

SourPop1004: Hi people! As usual, a/n at the bottom. Enjoy!

PS. To Babyblueangel: You nailed it! I have to give a special credit to you since you figured out what was going on. All right! Very nice detective work. Hehe… (And Sydney's mom's name is Irina Derevko… or something like that…last name wise…)

To Embattledcurve: Very nice guess but not quite. True that the story is going with Alias's plot but not everything's matched up perfectly. There are few changes of characters, sides, etc.

To Everyone: Expect the unexpected. But don't go overboard. Haha…

The Salsa Dancer

By: The lovely and crazy, SourPop1004

The complete darkness that surrounded her vision started to transform into lighter shades of gray until everything was clear and visible. Sakura slowly lifted up her head and looked around. The large empty room stared back at her. Sakura narrowed her eyes and studied the large window to her right. _Unbreakable glass. Damn it._ She thought bitterly. She turned her attention to the room and realized she was on a bed. She swung her feet over the edge and got up. Her shoes were neatly set at the foot of the bed and her street clothes lay on the chair. She looked down and noticed that she was wearing a pair of PJs. Just then the door opened and a tall handsome man walked in. He adjusted his glasses and smiled.

"I see you are awake Miss Kinomoto." He walked towards with a small bow. His British tongue flowing melodically. 

"And who the hell are you?" Sakura spat cautiously but angrily.

"Now, now, temper will do you no good. You Americans are so rude" He smiled. (I know. It's really weird cause Eriol and Sakura are Asian. Hehe…) He took a step towards her as she backed off. "Let me introduce myself. Eriol Hiragizawa. And a pleasure to finally meet you." He stuck out his hand, but Sakura ignored it.

"Ok. So what am I doing here? What do you want?" Sakura walked around the room with a focused vision on the man in the tanned Armani suit.

"You'll see tonight. Do not be angered. This is for your best."

"Wait. What am I supposed to do? Seeing that I'm not exactly in a 100% hostage situation, what am I in?" Sakura shouted at his back.

"You're a guest. And you better change. You have a visitor in 5 minutes." Eriol shut the door behind him, leaving a confused Sakura.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"Papito, this ain't looking good. We've lost contact with her for the last 19 hours. Knowing Cereza, she wouldn't be gone this long without touching base." Josh looked up from his laptop towards Fang. 

"I want a team out immediately. Search the last place she was at. The signing of the proposition will be tomorrow. I can't afford for something like this to happen" Fang replied with a cold tone. Josh stared with fear and curiosity. "NOW!" Fang shouted. Josh quickly went to work on his laptop. Fang just stormed out of the hotel room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sakura had put back on her street clothes and was sitting down in a chair, looking out through the large window. She saw the ocean in the far distance. People were happily making sandcastles and splashing around in the water. She smiled at the sight but quickly turned around when she heard the door open. Sakura turned around to find the tall familiar man standing in the doorway. He spoke as he approached her.

"I'm sorry you had to be taken out like that. But you must understand why." Syaoran stopped right in front of her.

"No, please. Do explain because I really have no idea why the hell I'm here." Sakura asked sarcastically. She gave a small smile before standing up and staring into his eyes with a level gaze.

"You'll be explained to tonight. So for now, just enjoy yourself." Syaoran smiled.

"You have got to be kidding. Enjoy myself? Here? This prison? You are crazy!" Sakura fumed. All the while she felt his breath on her cheeks. She was killing inside to hold in a blush.

"Blushing is far natural. You don't have to hold it in you know." 

Sakura was deep in thought. She had thought this man was no different, a pushover, yet something had changed. He was reading her every move like a book.

"You must be wondering why I've changed." (Hehe…irony…) "Well I haven't. I've been hit on the head by you before, but it won't happen again. I, unlike many others, learn from my mistakes." Syaoran smiled.

"Is that so?" Sakura slyly smiled and ran her hand down his chest but was stopped by Syaoran's hand.

"And another thing. You are pretty, but don't let that go to your head. And I suggest you stop acting like a slut. It won't work anymore." Syaoran pulled away from her, releasing her hand from his. He gave a small bow and walked towards the door.

Sakura was angry, very angry. She wanted to kill that man. But she knew better than to lose herself. Sakura's voice spoke out after Syaoran, who stopped and listened with his back still turned.

"A slut am I? You really do hurt me Syaoran. I thought we had something going, but I guess not. I am heart broken. What shall I ever do?" Sakura taunted sarcastically. She brought her hand to her forehead dramatically. "But hon, you know you want it just as bad. But maybe there's something else holding you back. I think you're afraid. Afraid of some woman lying to you, betraying you, killing you…just like your mother." Syaroan could imagine the cruel smile on Sakura's face. "So, how are things with Jessie? She seemed quite flustered that I might take you away from her. I don't blame the girl as on seeming how much of a fiancé you are. Maybe you just weren't meant to marry, ever. With all that tragedy with your father and all. Don't worry, I don't accuse you of anything. It's not your fault that you can't satisfy anyone." Sakura laughed. (I know, she's bad. Really bad.) She knew right then she had caught his attention. She knew she had hit the spot. Right where it hurt.

Syaoran was pained on hearing those words but stayed silent. The part he hated most about her was that she was actually right. He hadn't been exactly the most loving boyfriend and he knew why. She was right, it was because of what had happened to his father. As much as he hated to admit it but he was afraid.

"Now go on Syaoran, go do that little work of yours. Don't be gone too long. I'll miss you." Sakura smirked at the uncomfortable silence from Syaroan. He then walked out the door, slamming it behind him.

~~~~~~~~~ 

Downstairs, Syaoran sat in the kitchen quietly. He was sipping a cup of coffee that Eriol had handed him. He quietly sat and wondered about what she had said. It was right. Everything was right. 

Eriol sat across from Syaoran. He studied Syaoran's intense face expression as he thought. It didn't take a wild guess to figure out what was happening.

~~~~~~~~~

Sakura was lying down on the bed thinking. _Was I too harsh? No! What am I thinking? I don't care about that worthless man. He called me a slut!_ Sakura mentally shouted at herself. When her thoughts settled, she slowly fell asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sakura's eyes were still closed when she felt a presence watching her sleep. When she felt a hand on her cheek, Sakura's reflexes kicked in and she immediately grabbed the wrist of the person over her and twisted it. By now, Sakura's eyes were open and saw the person. A woman with violet hair was there. Surprisingly, her expression wasn't of pain. It was smiling. Sakura let go of the hand and stumbled back a bit. The woman turned around to face her. The familiar face had new-formed lines and wrinkles. But it wasn't enough to identify the woman as old.

"Who are you. What do you want?" Sakura asked.

The woman had her hair tied back and was wearing a dark blue business suit. Sakura's eyes scanned her over and fell on the woman's ring finger. There was a white gold ring with diamond all around and in the center was an emerald. When Sakura looked back up, she noticed the woman's green eyes. 

"Do you remember this ring?" The woman stuck out her hand and showed the ring to Sakura. "Your father gave it to me on my 20 birthday, and who would have thought he'd propose?" The woman smiled.

"Y-You…" Sakura was speechless. She remembered perfectly where that ring was from. "Mom?" Sakura's voice was cracking.

"Give your okka-san a hug." The woman brought Sakura into a tight hug.

~~~~~~~~~~ 

The doorbell rang, chiming through the huge mansion. Eriol picked himself up form the armchair he was sitting in and made his way to the door. He opened the door to find a woman with purplish hair standing. She was looking down at her invitation not realizing the door had opened. Eriol stared down at her small figure. The woman looked up and jumped for a second.

"Whoa! I didn't know you were there. Sorry." Tomoyo smiled and blushed.

"No, it's quite alright. Are you here for the dinner party?" 

"Oh yes. Here's my invitation." Tomoyo handed the small ivory colored card to the tall handsome man. When her fingertips brushed his, she blushed. She stepped into the large home and looked around. Under the chandelier in the main room where guests were arriving, Tomoyo's shimmery dark purple dress glittered wildly. She adjusted the matching beaded shawl around her and turned to the man. "I don't mean to be rude but I really don't know why I'm here. I just received this invitation in the mail from an anonymous person." Tomoyo looked questioningly.

"If it was anonymous, why come?" Eriol observed her every move.

"I don't know. It said it was very important and…" Tomoyo's expression was slowly changing from questioning to confusion to fear. "Maybe I should leave." Tomoyo walked fast towards the door when Eriol slammed it shut, making her jump.

"What if I'm some psycho inviting you to a dinner party to drug you and manipulate you. . ." Eriol gave her an evil look. His face was right in front of hers. She looked at him with horror.

"Stay back. I-I-I know karate." Tomoyo stepped back from Eriol in fear.

"With the crap the CIA teaches you, I'd hardly consider it any form of karate."

"Wait, how'd you know I was a CIA trainee?" Tomoyo was truly confused.

"Come dear. I'm not some psycho trying to rape you. I was just kidding. Follow me. You'll wait in the next room." Eriol gave a hearty laugh as he led her to the next room. Tomoyo was confused but she knew she loved this man's British accent. 

~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sakura sat on the bed in silence.

"I know this is a lot to take in Sakura but you must understand." Nadeshiko tried to comfort her daughter.

"Ok, let me get this straight. You died but you're not dead. Touya died but he's not dead. So who else is dead but alive!?" Sakura yelled out in rage and frustration.

"Everyone else is just alive or dead. Unfortunately, your father is still passed." Nadeshiko looked at Sakura and tried to reassure her. She knew it'd be hard.

"Where's Touya right now?" Sakura kept remembering the officer she had encounter earlier.

"We extracted him from Fang's organization. He kept watch over you all these years and you didn't even know. I didn't even know. That is until a couple of months ago. I knew he was alive but I didn't know he was this close to you all this time. Anyway, he's in a private medical facility treating his wounded leg." Nadeshiko smiled sympathetically. 

"So, what are you? CIA, FBI, NSA, some other group?" Sakura spat out angrily.

"I'm not part of any organization. I work alone. I used to be part of the CIA but I've broken away."

"Why?"

"Because they wouldn't let me go find you again." Nadeshiko looked at Sakura with sad eyes.

"Why not?"

"It started when I married your father. I was already a CIA agent but he didn't know. That was one part of me that stayed hidden. I know. I should have told but I couldn't. Member all those times I had to go to the doctor's office or the market? They weren't regular outings. They were meetings for me to explain my progress with the Kinomoto case. Since I was living in Tokyo then, the CIA had a specialist fly in every few weeks to check up on me. When I married your father, it was love, but I'm sorry to say it was partly a mission as well. There were times when I imagined that I was a normal housewife to two wonderful children and a loving husband but I knew it was a lie. The CIA wanted me to keep tabs on Fujitaka and his archaeological finds. He was well known and everyone guessed that he'd be the one to find the blue stone. I know you remember it.

That blue stone was the key to capturing Fang's growing terrorist organization. Fang had a thing with collectibles. Majority of his fast-growing army was very religious. They were the kind of people to believe legends and myths. The blue stone your father found was told to control the weather. Fang knew if he acquired the stone, he'd have trust and faith from his followers. Of course, he knew that the stone was no magical object, but he also knew that it would be worth millions on the black market to private collectors. 

We never succeeded. Finally, seeing that your father wasn't going to find the stone, the CIA made me part. I refused but they said they needed me for another missions abroad. Refusal was something they wouldn't take. They threatened. I had to comply. So I faked my death and left. I couldn't tell your father or he'd have died. One thing I've learned was that whatever the cause may be that you work for, good or bad, blackmail is your best friend.

Anyway, even after I left, I kept tabs on your father. I may have not been there but I still cared. It was only a year right before your father discovered the stone that they made me pull out of your father's case. They said that there was no point. They were wrong. When your father found the stone, Fang was immediately notified. When you went to Colombia with him, you should have left but Fang got to you first. Your father stayed longer because someone had phoned him saying his expertise would be helpful to the local museum. It was Fang's ploy to make your father take a certain route to get to the museum. When he was killed between a crossfire, it was intentional. Fang thought it best for your father's death to look like an accident. With the brutal fights between different terrorist forces, anything was possible. Anyway, after Fujitaka died, I broke away from the CIA. Those blundering fools. Anyhow, my only motive now is revenge and to take back my children." Nadeshiko took a breath and watched for any reactions.

"Didn't the CIA do anything when you broke away?" Sakura questioned curiously.

"Yes. They tried to stop me and even threatened, but that wasn't enough to stop me. I guess you can say I sort of disappeared off the face of the earth. If there's one thing about me that supremes over all my skills, it's covering my tracks. They tried to find me after I disappeared but one thing they didn't realize was that all the while I was working under the CIA and going on missions, I was able to make powerful connections all over the world. I had many allies that helped me disappear…"

Sakura thought for a moment. "How'd you get Li Syaroan into this?"

"Well, I knew that Agent Li already knew you. So I sent Mr. Hiragizawa to give Li a call about the info about Fujitaka's death and how it wasn't an accident. The CIA had covered up that file because they knew if something bad happened, like what's going on right now, that the fingers would point to them. Well, Agent Li and I had an agreement. I had him send you the disk, which he uncovered from the closed case files. 

We had to make it look like a kidnap, love. We knew you'd go for a public place where the disk couldn't possibly do any type of damage. And I knew you wouldn't come willingly."

Sakura's face was calm and blank. She couldn't, shouldn't, express anything.

"What happened to the stone?"

"As Fang predicted, it greatly furthered his organization and the rest is history."

Sakura was silent for a few seconds. "I have nothing else to ask of. I know enough." 

"In that case, get dressed and come down stairs." Nadeshiko ordered.

"Why?" Sakura was confused.

Nadeshiko got up and walked over to the closet. She opened the door and pulled out a dress. She threw the outfit onto the bed. "You have a dinner guest. Get changed and come down." She smiled and swiftly walked out of the room.

__

Maybe if you were acquainted with the right people, you'll remember and come back…

Sakura was quiet with thoughts. She made her way to the bed and picked up the dress. She fingered the forest green silk material. Interesting…

~~~~~~~~~ 

Tomoyo sat quietly off in a corner. She scanned the empty room. She drank a glass of champagne that was in her hand and looked around at her surroundings. She tensed up when she noticed Eriol walking towards. 

"Miss Daidouji, are you all right?" He smiled his gorgeous smile. 

"Oh I'm sorry. I don't mean to be rude. I was just a bit bored since no one's really here." Tomoyo answered embarrassed. 

"Oh, that will all change soon as the hostess gets here. And no one else will be coming. You're the only guest other than Syaoran Li. I believe you know him from your work." 

"Oh yes. I'm really curious what this is about. If Mr. Li's here, I guess I wasn't mailed an invitation by some psycho." Tomoyo smiled as Eriol laughed.

~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sakura looked over herself in the full-length mirror at the corner of the large room. Her hair was still short and dark blue. The color of her eyes and the dress went well together but her hair seemed out of place._ Why am I doing this? And she can't tell me what to do. I lost a mother. I don't have a mother. _Sakura smirked into the mirror and started to strip off the dress. _Let's give this rebellious teenage years thing a try._

~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Nadeshiko came down the stairs and made her way to the room where her guest was awaiting. She turned to the corner where Tomoyo and Eriol was and made her way there. As she strolled towards them, Eriol looked up at her.

"Tomoyo? Is that you?" She smiled.

"Y-yes?" Tomoyo got up, confused. The stranger gave her a hug.

"My mistake. You must not know who I am. Who would? I guess it's time to explain what has been going on. Sit down love, you'll need to." Nadeshiko pulled Tomoyo back down and sat down next to her.

~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sakura was back in her street clothes. She put on her jacket and walked out of the room with a satisfied grin.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

When she was walking down the hall she ran into a tall figure. Sakura fumbled backwards a few steps but regained her balance. 

"Hey watch it!" Sakura growled not realizing who it was.

"It's about time you came out. Everyone's waiting." Syaoran replied in a bored tone.

"You! What do you want?" Sakura was now mad. The last person she needed to see was this man.

"Lets not go at each other's throats. Your mother wants you down stairs. And what are you wearing?" He looked her over.

"First off, you're right for once, lets not get into another fight. Two, I don't have a mother, and three, do I look like I care about what you think of my outfit?" Sakura snapped. She walked past him in a fury. She was suddenly held back when a hand had grabbed her wrist. She spun around and glared into his eyes. "Let go you fool." Sakura's expression turned from an angry one to a manacing one. "So now you want to play with the slut, now is it?" Sakura's lips curved into a smirk. She knew this was the way to get him to let go. To her surprise, he didn't let go. Something was different.

Syaoran gave a small laugh. "Didn't I tell you, I learn from experience, and currently I've had enough experience of you. And no, I don't want to play. I don't play with children." He emphasized the last word with a smirk. He felt Sakura shake a tiny bit with anger. When he heard nothing from her, he just laughed. "You aren't the only one that can hit someone with words."

Sakura ripped her wrist out of his grip with a glare. "Apparently not. Well, no pun taken. As much as I may seem like a child to you, you still want me." She smiled and started walking again. Syaoran just silently stood there. Just when he was about to get to her, she managed to pull something over him every time.

Sakura walked down the stairs and followed sound of two people talking. When she entered, her mother and someone else looked at her. She took a glass of champagne from a tray on the table on her way. She took a sip and found her mother sitting with a familiar woman. Sakura stopped in her tracks. _What the…_

Nadeshiko broke away from her conversation and looked up. Seeing Sakura not in the dress really didn't matter. She smiled at the thought of her daughter trying to annoy her. _It's not going to be that easy._

"Sakura, how nice of you to finally join us. As you know, this is Tomoyo Daidouji." Nade (I'm going to use Nade instead of Nadeshiko. It's too long. Haha…) smiled.

Sakura was taken back by the sudden hug Tomoyo gave her. She knew why but she chose not to understand. Sakura pushed Tomoyo away who was on the verge of tears.

"What are you doing?" Sakura snapped in a collected tone.

"Sakura…" Tomoyo was hurt and confused. "Don't you remember me? I was your best friend!" 

"Key word here, WAS. I may have the same name and be the same person, but that doesn't mean I am who I was long ago. I'm sorry, but the Sakura Kinomoto you're looking for is dead." Sakura's eyes were cold with anger and sadness.

"But…" Tears were running down Tomoyo's soft cheeks.

Sakura ignored the fact that she had just made her best friend cry and that the whole room was staring. But never the less, emotion wasn't part of the game.

"You told me that you wanted your children back." Sakura looked towards Nade who still kept her composure.

"Yes."

"Well, news flash, I don't want to be a part of anything with you in it. I don't know about my brother but I don't. You left and that was it. You lost. Game over." Sakura's tone had risen. She tightened the grip on the slender glass cup. Her knuckles started to turn white from the death-grip she was giving the cup. Finally, the fine glass couldn't take the tension and shattered. The pieces exploded, leaving her hand with small cuts. Blood started to drip onto the floor. Tomoyo tensed up when she saw the blood. To her horror and surprise, Sakura started to laugh. (I know…dang…what's wrong with her?) "This isn't pain. I've suffered enough to know. It's your turn to take a spin in this crap everyone calls life." Sakura dropped the remaining pieces of the glass and walked out of the room, managing to shove Eriol who was standing near at the doorway out of the way. Her pace fastened as soon as she was out the door and in the hallway. Tears were welling up in her eyes but she wouldn't let them free. She started to run up the stairs. She needed to act fast if she wanted to escape. First, she would need to get to her room and gather her things.

~~~~~~~~~~ 

"Tomoyo, you alright?" Nade crouched down and helped Tomoyo up. 

"Yes, I'm fine. I don't blame her." Tomoyo whispered.

~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sakura ran into her room and looked around for her backpack. She spotted the bag in the corner of the room and picked it up. She searched inside for the contents. Everything was there except for the disk. Sakura searched around further. She turned around when she heard that same voice.

"Are you looking for this?" Syaoran held up the disk. "I thought you didn't care. Now why would you be looking for this?"

"Give it to me." Sakura walked over to Syaoran with a glare. She tried to snatch the disk away but he pulled it away from her reach.

"Why do you want it? The last time I heard, you didn't sound like you cared at all about what Fang did." Syaoran taunted. This was not the time. Anger rapidly built inside of her. "Angry? That's a first. You always seem so composed. Not fun when you're at the wrong end of the insults, huh?" He continued to taunt her. She didn't want to admit it but he was getting to her. Whether she liked it or not.

"Give it to me you bastard. I really fucking don't care about what you have to say." Sakura's anger had finally released. It had been ages since she was able to burst out like that. With lighting agility, she snapped at his hand. When she grabbed it, his grip was firm.

The disk now connected her left hand and his right hand. Sakura flung the bag she had in her right hand at his head. Syaoran quickly blocked with his arm. Sakura's bag fell to the floor. She quickly kicked up her right leg. Syaoran caught it and threw it back. Syaoran grabbed her right hand and brought it down to the carpeted floor. He ran her hand against the carpet creating friction. (Science…the agony…haha…) Sakura winced with pain. The heat burned her cut hand.

"You'll pay for that." Sakura shouted confidently.

"Be my guest." Syaoran challenged with a smirk.

Sakura quickly freed herself from his grip. She slid her bleeding hand down the side of his face. (Can we say…EW!)

"You like blood?" Sakura asked smiling.

Sakura brought her right hand back and threw a punch at his jaw. All the while, both were tugging at the disk. Syaoran moved his head to the side, dodging the blow. Sakura's arm hooked around his neck in a displeasing position. (Yeah right. Displeasing? PU-leeze!)

"You like me that much?" Syaoran whispered in her ear. (Muahaha…I feel evil.) 

"Let's try NO!" Sakura tried to pull her arm back but his free arm was around her waist. Sakura's face turned a light shade of red with anger.

"Tell me where Fang is. I know he's in town but where?" Syaoran spoke into her ear. Sakura felt his breath tickle her.

"You think I'd tell?" Sakura laughed out loud, trying to cover up the heat that was building up inside her. 

"It was worth a shot." She felt him smile against her cheek. "You like to dance? I think I hear music downstairs."

"Let go of me you fool. Ugh…" Sakura wiggled. "You wouldn't want Jessie to know now? She'd be heartbroken that her fiancé's such a cheater." Sakura smiled. If she couldn't physically over power him, might as well try something else.

"It's alright, Jessie doesn't have to know."

Sakura felt panic ripple through her. Ok, so sarcasm and word fighting wasn't going to help her. But what would? She hated the fact that he was becoming immune to her charms or tactics, whatever you called it. 

"What? Don't have anything else to say?" Syaoran smiled down at her.

"Actually I don't." Sakura smiled and let go of the disk. "You want the disk so much, it's yours." Sakura's left arm dropped to her side. (Wouldn't it be nasty if it like dropped to the FLOOR? hehe…) To her incredible dismay (Yeah right…hehe…), his grip around her did not falter. Her smile quickly turned into a frown. She found her body temperature rising as he leaned towards her face. 

"You don't have to be this way." He whispered in her ear. His voice seemed to have changed from mocking to soothing. "Just think about the people that really love you. Like you brother…and Tomoyo…and…"

Sakura was at a loss of words. She closed her eyes at his mellow voice. She felt him trail his lips across her jaw line towards her lips. When she felt his lips brush against hers, something was driving her crazy inside. She found herself enjoying this flutter of excitement at the pit of her stomach. Her right hand ran up his arm and rested on his shoulder as their lips fully met. The pain in her right hand seemed to flee when she felt his warmth. (Aren't I the little Mush Princess? Hehe…) Finally when they pulled away, Sakura was left confused. Syaoran looked down at her with soft eyes. She reluctantly pulled away from his grasp and reached out to take the disc.

"I have to go." Sakura weakly replied. She was about to put the disc into her bag run off when she heard Syaoran speak.

"You know, if you reconsider all this, you don't have to keep running away."

Sakura spun around and looked at him. "I'm not running." She replied with an even tone.

"Are you sure of that? It looks like it." Syaoran's voice had changed back to a serious one.

"Here." Sakura threw the disc at Syaoran. It spun in the air before running into the wall. The case split in two and fell to the floor. (Lots of things breaking in this chapter.) Sakura's anger had shown itself again. She really didn't know why she was so willing and then the next second completely violent. She glared at him before running off down the hall towards the stairs.

SourPop1004: Wassup! Phew! Chapter 10 is finally done. This one took forever because I was having so many problems. I think I changed the chapter around at least 5 times. Sigh…but I'm glad it's over. Hehe…anyway, the story goes on. I hope I will be able to write in a flowing manner next chapter. Things are getting more and more complicated so wish me luck. Haha…see you guys next chapter. And thank you so much for your reviews. I have a few things I want to say before I really say good bye:

I have just finished chapter 12, and the way I ended it will make the story go on for longer. So, people, tell me if you want TSD to be 15 chapters or longer. Cause the story doesn't look like it's going to end anytime soon but you never know. I might surprise myself. Anyway, please e-mail me at xxgodslight012xx@aol.com or leave it in your review. I think I'm making my own story way, WAY too complicated. Sigh… but it's so fun. Haha… anyway, my mission's trying to finish this story with: a) lots of awesome reviews and b) with an awesome story all the way through the end. Hehe… so keep reviewing cause that's my fuel. Yum yum… I still want you guys out there to read and keep in note all the suspicious details. Some people among the reviewers have an excellent sense of detective work. Hehe… and I'd love to hear everyone's opinions/suggestions/fore shadowings. ^ ^ 

So, JA!


	11. I Am Sakura Kinomoto

SourPop1004: Hey! Chapter 11 here. Enjoy and I'll see you at the bottom.

The Salsa Dancer

By: Meeh!

Sakura mindlessly stared out the small window. White clouds in the clear blue sky slowly slipped by. She adjusted herself and tried to relax in her seat. She turned away from the small window and looked around at the rest of the passengers on the plane. There were only a few since the siege of The Vault in D.C., many were afraid. She ignored the unsettling thought and sat there putting on her headphones. She turned the volume up near max and leaned her head back against the pillow. She closed her eyes and felt like crying. 

Sakura thought back to when she had escaped from her mother. She had slipped out the front door unnoticed since everyone was in the guestroom. She still had a strange feeling because her get away was too easy. Far too easy if it was worth kidnapping someone. But she didn't care. She just wanted to sleep and forget her life for once. She had thought once that it was the job that made her the best, but in truth, it should be that _she _made the job the best one. She started to feel like the job was defining her life.

__

No…God…please, don't let this come over me. I can't stand this. My sanity's at stake. I can't afford to lose it now. I have to keep myself together the most right now. I know I don't exactly work for the benefit of mankind, but God…please, I need to get though this. Why am I breaking?

It's strange how even the evilest of criminals depend on God to help them. Sakura's mind was racing so fast she ignored the flight attendant repeatedly asking her to turn her headphones down. 

Sakura bolted up and looked to her left. She gave a sorry look and turned off the music. (You know how sometimes, even when you're using headphones, the music blares out when on max, well that happened by accident once and dang…my ears HURT!) 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

When the plane landed after a couple of hours, Sakura picked up her only luggage, her bag, and filed out of the plane like the few others.

Sakura breathed in the cold air outside the airport. The sun was starting to set and turned the sky all sorts of shades of orange, red, and purple. She looked down at the street in hopes of flagging down a cab. She waved her hand, and surely enough a yellow car drove by and parked in front of her. She stepped into the cap and instructed the driver to her destination.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

In the car, she stared out the window as they drove by buildings and cars. Her attention turned towards the radio when the driver turned the volume up.

Radio: "Fellow citizens of the U.S., it has just been notified to us and all other broadcast stations that the president of the United States has agreed to sign the proposition made by Mr. Lobo. The Vault is in complete control under the Colombian terrorists. The nation is devastated, but the president felt that this was for the best for the U.S. safety for now. This is DS104.3; we'll keep you updated as more news come in. May God be with us today and bless America."

Sakura's heart stopped a beat when she heard the news on the radio. Suddenly, the driver broke out into sobs. The driver pulled over the car towards the side walk and turned around to face Sakura.

"I am very sorry, lady, but I cannot go on further. I think I need to be with my family for now. I won't charge you anything. I'm sorry I'm dropping you off like this." The man swallowed hard. "I hope you'll be all right. I need to go…" Sakura nodded and gave a small smile of sympathy before getting out of the car. She stood at the sidewalk watching the cab turn around and head towards where she figured was his home. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

When she had arrived at her hotel around nine, she was bombarded with questions from Josh and Papito. She gave them a really tired look and promised to explain everything in the morning. Already being in a good mood, Papito agreed and sent her off to her room. Josh had given her a tight hug before she went to her room.

Here she was now, sitting on her bed staring out the hotel room balcony. The street below was dark but bright streetlights illuminated the empty roads. She had taken a hot shower and was now sitting quietly thinking. Her long wavy mahogany hair was damp from the shower. Wrapped in a fluffy bathrobe, she leaned back and rested on the back. Her wet hair slowly started to soak the smooth bed covers. She closed her eyes and tears ran down the side of her face, leaving a wet trail.

__

No…what have I done? Syaoran was right. This is wrong…all of this is wrong… why didn't I see it before? God, what do I do? I want to die… since when did I start to feel anything? I hate this feeling. I don't want it. Why can't I be inhumane anymore? Why the change now? Damn…

With a small seed of guilt in her heart, Sakura imagined over and over about running out the balcony and jumping off. That way everything would be over. Hell was better than this pain any day. 

Finally concluding that she would fix this and then try to die or whatever, she decided to go talk to Josh. She had missed him a lot and she needed a friend.

Silently closing the door behind her, she tiptoed to Josh's room, which was a room away from hers. When she gave a light knock, no one answered. She was about to go back when she heard a small noise come from Fang's room. Curious, she quietly walked over to Fang's room was two rooms away from hers. When she heard Josh's voice inside, she leaned in her ear to listen.

~~~~~~~~~~ 

"What do you think happened?" Josh asked Fang as he sat in his armchair staring out the balcony as well.

"I don't know. Something's different about her…and I don't like it. But for now, we'll wait. I need to hear what she has to say, then I'll decide. But I am quite pleased about our progress. Yet if she is going to threaten my plans then…" Fang was silent.

"Papito! She's your daughter!" Josh was shocked.

"Don't be so loud. I know she is… but she's not blood. She has served her purpose. It's all up to tomorrow. If she decides to tell the truth, she'll live, but if not…you know what happens. And you know I can spot a lie a mile away." Fang was serious as he continued to stare out the window.

~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sakura covered her mouth in shock. Her eyes wide, she staggered back a few steps. Hearing footsteps near the closed door, she scrambled to get to her room. Luckily, she went back into her room without any sound.

With the door tightly shut, her mind raced rapidly.

__

Oh my God…

Sakura's mouth was still open with devastation. She plopped down on the bed and stared at the opposite wall. When her mouth did shut, they clamped down so hard that she felt herself bite her own tongue. Taste of blood mingled in her mouth. How could the man she admired as her father do this to her. Her face turned expressionless at the irony of everything. Just a month of two ago, she was faking a betrayal by Fang and now it was really happening. Her mind spun faster and faster until she felt sick. She shut her eyes tightly and hoped everything would clear. She rubbed her eyes to dry the tears that had sprang to life when she was standing in front of Fang's room. 

When her mind seemed to have cleared, she sat and stared at the floor. Her mind was starting to turn. If she were to make this right, she would need a lie for Fang. If he found out what really happened, he'd go after Nade and everyone. Her mind rolled and rolled until she came to a conclusion. She couldn't forge a lie because she barely had any time to set up the evidence, the video cameras, and the witnesses, so she decided to take drastic measures. As much as it would seem suspicious, she would have to disappear again. 

__

I need a distraction of some kind to occupy Fang… but what?

Sakura was up by now and was pacing around the room thinking hard. The clock on her nightstand flashed the number 12:43. She glanced out the balcony and saw the sun was, of course, gone and the sky was a hazy gray.

She took her cell phone from the nightstand and turned it on. She slowly walked around the room as she toyed with the phone. When she got to a certain part of the room, the service line quickly hazed and disappeared. (I'm talking about when you turn your phone on, it always searches for the service line. If you're inside like the mall, it takes a while for you to find a connection.) Finding it strange, she walked around the room until she got a certain spot where her connection was completely gone. 

Sakura stared down at her backpack.

__

What the…

She crouched down and rummaged through her bag in search of something, anything. When she was feeling around inside the bag, her fingers ran over a small area in the fabric where there was a tiny bump. Sakura took the phone, which now the server was back, she placed it next to the little bump. The server was completely gone and the screen was hazing in and out again. Sakura got up and walked towards her suitcase. She opened a zipper and pulled out a small knife. (Who carries knives around? Obviously Sakura. Haha…) Tossing the phone on the bed, she went back to her bag and started to rip through the fabric. She slipped her knife and opened the sown over part of the bag. She stared at the small pill-sized piece of plastic. It looked like a normal pill except it was clear and some sort of microchip was inside.

__

Syaoran… if only I can trace this back… but Josh would ask questions. No choice…I have to do this for his sake as well…

Sakura picked her self up and pocketed the little bug. She decided she would have to start moving fast if anything was to be done. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Dressed in complete black and her long hair (Yes, she changed it back…hehe…) braided down into a perfect tail, she turned towards the balcony and stepped out into the night air. With a small dagger strapped around her right thigh, a gun safely tucked in the back of her pants, and an empty silver suitcase, she climbed over the railing. Sakura stared down at the streets bellow. Ignoring the thought of how high she was, she quickly flung herself across towards the balcony next to hers. Josh's balcony to be exact. Safely landing inside the little square, she peeked in through the glass doors. Josh was sound asleep. 

Sakura smiled when she found the door unlocked. She quietly pushed open the door and slipped in.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sakura peered down at Josh's sleeping face. _Kinda cute if you ask me…_ Sakura gave a silent laugh. When Josh popped open his eyes, he was about to shout when Sakura clamped his mouth shut.

"Josh, listen to me and listen to me well." Sakura whispered. "I heard Fang's plan. If he's going to dispose of me, it's going to take a lot more than he thinks. I got him this far, and I can just as easily break him. Now tell me. Whose side are you on? Mine or his? If you help me, we can end this and get back at him for every pain he caused anyone else. You may not know, but I know the truth about my real father. If you join me, I'll tell you everything." Sakura stared into his eyes. "I'm going to uncover your mouth and you better not scream." Sakura slowly pulled back her hand and watched Josh with an intense stare.

Josh sat up in his bed and watched her step back a few spaced.

"You know I can't betray him…" Josh's voice was pained.

"So you can betray me? Josh, all those missions I went on, they were for the wrong reasons. I can't take it anymore. I can't be the same ever again after what happened the last couple of hours." Sakura looked at him with sorrow.

"Tell me what happened Chica. You can trust me…" Josh got off the bed and walked towards her in his T-shirt and boxers. (Isn't this what guys wear to sleep? Haha…no clue.) He moved closer and gave her a hug. "You can tell me. I'm on your side." He whispered gently.

Sakura welcomed the hug as she rested her head on his shoulder. She closed her eyes trying to calm herself, but when she opened them, she spotted something under Josh's pillow. Her eyes narrowed then widened when she realized what it was. She quickly pulled the gun from the back of her waist and shot towards the bed. She thanked herself for screwing on a silencer on the gun or else she'd be found out. Josh jumped back in surprise when he heard the tiny sound of the gun. Sakura glared at him.

"A recorder? For what? So you can turn me in? Josh, from all the stupid things you've ever done, this is at the top of the list. You just lost me, so I suggest you prepare yourself when I come back. One thing I've learned. No mercy." Sakura pointed the gun at Josh as she walked around the room towards the table in the corner. The gun still aimed towards his chest, she picked up the laptop from the table and safely put into a silver suitcase she had brought. Silently, she walked towards the front door. She was about to open it when there was a loud knocking sound.

"Josh! You in there?" Fang's voice came from the other side of the door.

Sakura motioned for Josh to speak, but to speak with caution.

"Yeah. I'm here. What is it?" Josh spoke. There was silence.

"She's in there isn't she? Cereza, hear me. I know you can. Don't do this. You are valuable to us and I can give you so much…" Fang tried to reason.

Sakura quickly backed away from the door towards the balcony. She gave Josh a last glance before running out into the balcony. She looked around wildly for an escape.   
From the balcony next door, hers, men in black suits were swarming her room. Some of them were out on the balcony. They pulled out their guns at the sight of Sakura. But before they could shoot, Sakura already shot all of them down. More were running to get through the glass doors, but Sakura knew she couldn't make it down the using the balconies for she was too high up. Having no choice, she held her heart a beat and ran back into the room. Josh was just opening the door for Fang. Sakura ran by in a blur. On her way, she punched Josh who landed on the carpet and kneed Fang in the stomach. For the split second he hesitated, Sakura was already gone and running down the hall shooting men as they came to her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Eriol sat in front of a laptop intensely watching a blinking red light on the screen.

"Nade, it's obvious she found the tracker. She wouldn't carry her bag everywhere, and she's moving too fast. Something's up. Plans?" Eriol turned around from his seat and looked at Nade who had a serious face on.

"You're right. But even if she were in some sort of scrape, we wouldn't be able to reach her in time. She's in D.C. right now…" Nade looked worried then her eyes lit up. "Call Li right away. Send him her location and maybe he can pick her up."

Eriol nodded and quickly took out his cell phone.

~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sakura had burst out of the hotel building and was wildly looking around for a place to run. She heard the group of guards running through the marble-floored lobby in search of her. Not knowing what to do, she secured her grip on the suitcase and started running down the street. She tried to look for an alley to hide in. To her horror, she heard gun shots behind her. The one advantage she was in it was that she was armed with less weight so she was quicker than the men running after her, but then again, some had hopped into a car and were chasing after her. She smiled when she made a sharp turn at a corner of a street and found a dark alley. She quickly slipped into the shadows. She watched as the group ran past and the opening of the alley without any thought. Sakura breathed out a sigh.

She looked up and down the dark smoky alley with disgust. She checked the gun she was holding. _Damn…_ she had used up all the bullets and it was absolutely no use. She threw the gun to the floor and started to walk down the alley. Constantly stepping over spilled garbage, Sakura tried to keep her boots as clean as possible. 

~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Syaoran tore through the streets looking from side to side. He had gone through practically the whole area a million times. He furrowed his brows in frustration. Where was she?

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sakura was almost out of the alley when she saw shadows surround her. Her heart skipped when she thought they were Fang's men, but they weren't.

"Lookie here. What's a girl like you doin' out this late?" Sakura saw one of them smile. She heard the constant patting of a metal bat. She looked around and spotted a total of five men.

"Excuse me." Sakura tried to move past them but they pushed her back into the circle.

"What's in there?" the guy pointed his bat towards Sakura's case.

"Something that really doesn't concern you." Sakura saw him reach out to grab the case. Sakura quickly grabbed his wrist. She squeezed the wrist until her nails left red marks in the skin. The guy withdrew his hand in pain.

"Damn… what the hell…" The guy felt around his red wrist.

Sakura started to walk off when one of the men attempted to grab her case and run. She whipped around and saw the man struggling to pull the case towards himself. Sakura gave a hard tug and when the guy lost his balance and leaned in, she kicked his face, sending him to the muddy ground. She flashed out her knife and knelt down to point it towards the guy's throat.

"Take another step and I'll kill him. Let me go in peace, or else I'll start doing some real damage. So why don't y'all go on and play with your own little punk games." Sakura got up and placed the knife back into its cover. She smiled when she heard the group struggle and hastily run down the opposite direction of the alley. Her smile quickly faded when she came out of the alley and spotted a black car roaring down the street towards her. _Shit! _Sakura looked around and started to run down the sidewalk away from the car. As it gained, her lungs burned and wanted to explode. She kept running for half a minute when she was running across an intersection. A silver Benz swerved a corner to join the black car. In a tight neck-to-neck race, the Benz sped up and screeched to a stop in front of her. The door flung open and she saw Syaoran rapidly motioning for her to get in. Without hesitation, Sakura jumped in. Soon as she got in, the car started up again. 

"There's a gun in the compartment!" Syaoran yelled as the engine rapidly heated itself. 

Sakura ripped open the compartment and found a black gun. She pulled down the windows and looked out. She was about to aim when the black car shot at them. The reign of bullets shattered through the back window and literally shredded the expensive leather of the back seat. Sakura and Syaoran both tucked their heads as low as possible in an attempt to avoid the fires. Soon as the blows ended momentarily, Syaoran popped back up and started to swerve the car from side-to-side trying to avoid anymore blows. Sakura quickly took the time and turned around to face the back window. Since the glass was already gone, she aimed and fired. The first two bullets cracked the black car's front window to the point where all the lines made it hard to see through. The last shot pierced through the window, managing to take itself through the glass and through the driver's head. The black car swerved to a stop while the Benz kept going. Sakura turned around and breathed out a sigh.

"Let's hurry. I have a feeling Josh's laptop is being tagged." Sakura hoarsely spoke.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

It had been a couple of hours since Sakura and Syaoran were off the airplane. They were in a cab on their way to Nade's mansion. (I think it's impossible to be across the continent in a 'few hours' but work with me here people. ^ ^)

"What makes you think you can trust me again?" Sakura asked as she stared out the window.

"I don't know, but I know you're not stupid enough to come back and screw me over for the second time." Syaoran replied.

"Right…" Sakura felt something stir in her. _Faith…what a funny thing…_

An hour later, they were pulling up in front of a large mansion. The two got out and paid the taxi driver. Sakura smelled the familiar salty air. She was back in the same place she had been taken hostage a couple days earlier. She saw the bright sea off to her right as she walked up the large stone steps.

When they stood in front of the door to knock, the large wooden door swung open to reveal Eriol smiling. The two stepped in without word.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

The suitcase was open and Eriol was examining the laptop with precision. Syaoran was sitting down at the kitchen table in his white shirt and faded jeans. The sunlight streamed through the large glossy windows. The ocean outside sparkled and shimmered under the high sun. Sakura was up walking around. She had changed into a pair of jean-shorts and a yellow halter-top. 

"Please, stop pacing. It's ruining my concentration." Eriol politely looked up from his work.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Shut it Brit. Boy. Oh and excuse me. I believe I haven't got any manners. I'm not exactly having the best day of my life." Sakura tilted her head to the side and gave him a sarcastic smile. Sakura frowned again. 

"Got that right…" Syaoran muttered under his breath. Sakura glared. 

"Anyway, now what? Do I just stay here and wait until my missing _mother_ shows up? Again!?" Sakura stopped pacing and looked at Syaoran. 

"Nade's meeting with General Houston and the President in secret. She'll be back, and as for you, you're stuck so relax." Syaoran gave a lazy smile. 

"Funny. Really funny." Sakura rolled her eyes. "Anyway, the flight we took to get here, Josh might find us."

"He won't. Our travels have been covered. You don't have to worry about that." Syaoran replied. "Oh, if you'd like, Daidouji is upstairs. She's out for the moment. Getting groceries or something. She's staying with Nade for now." 

"Oh…" Sakura replied. Just then the back door opened letting the cool ocean breeze swirl into the room. Tomoyo came in with a bag full of groceries. When she spotted Sakura, she dropped the bag. A few oranges rolled out of the bag. Tomoyo just stood there astonished. Sakura walked towards her and helped her pick up the oranges. Tomoyo jumped forward and hugged Sakura tightly.

"I'm glad you're back." She whispered happily.

"Yeah…" Sakura pulled away. "I'll be outside." Sakura handed Tomoyo the oranges and walked out through the back door.

~~~~~~~~~ 

She walked along the deck as it neared the water and at one point go beyond the sand. At the edge, she stood and stared out into the wide blue field. She sat down at the edge with her feet dangling over the water. No one was around since the part of the beach she was in was a private lot. 

Sakura turned around when she heard someone behind her. It was Tomoyo.

"You know, you don't have to feel bad about what happened last time." She began as she sat down next to her. Sakura was silent. "I know I won't be able to understand completely what you're going through but I'm human too. I'm pretty sure I know a thing or two about troubles…I've been dealing with it for just about my whole life now…" Tomoyo saw Sakura smile. "I was your best friend once and I don't see why I can't be that same person again. Just like how I don't see why you can't be the same Sakura Kinomoto. You are the same. It's just up to you to admit it."

"You ever wonder where the ocean ends? I mean, maps of the world and yeah… but from where we are. Have you ever wondered where the sea ends? It looks so endless…" Sakura spoke. "And that's how my life is, endless. I'll never reach the end…that is until I die. I'm bound to die sooner or later. As much as I've escaped death by a narrow shot, I'm going to die. But if I don't, I'll suffer forever."

"You don't have to have that kind of ending. Make your own ending. Why let life take you for a ride. _You_ take it for a ride." Tomoyo stared into the ocean.

"And to think I thought of my work as some sort of life source for me. That's partly true. I always thought that what I did was something that would fuel me. Drive me. I thought having no principles would make me invincible, and it did, for a while… but at the same time, I'm bound to my work. I will never escape. Every turn I make, my life decides to always lead me back to what I'm trying to get away from." Sakura's voice became weary.

"Don't think that way. There's hope. There's always hope. And it was hope that I found you, and how you found your mother…and brother…" Tomoyo looked at Sakura.

"I guess…" Sakura was silent for a moment. "I'm sorry… what I said last time, I didn't mean it… I'm sorry. It was wrong of me. But, you have to understand I feel that way because of how I have lived." 

"It's definitely all right." Tomoyo put a hand on Sakura's shoulder.

"You know, I've never had anyone to lean on except myself… and I'm sorry to say that that won't change for a while. I still can't trust anyone but myself. As sad as that sounds, I know you can understand, Tomoyo. Please don't take it the wrong way. I just need… I can't settle in anywhere. It's been too long. I've been part of my world for too long playing this crazy game. And since that's what I'm best at as of this moment, I'm going to embrace that and fight till I win. Maybe later I'll realize my past. For now… I'm not the same. I don't think I'll ever be." Sakura seemed to reflect on what she was saying. Her voice was weak, yet strong in it's own sense. 

"It's ok… everything will be different as soon as this is all over." Tomoyo reassured her in a sweet voice. 

"Yeah… when this is all over…" Sakura trailed off. 

__

Will this ever end? When will I ever accept anything in my life? Questions… that's what I do. Always question. Anything and everything. Maybe one day I'll see. See the way of life when once right again. For now…I'm the self-reliant… the independent… the smart… the fast… the quick… the controlled… the smart-mouthed… the tempered… the angered… the tide… the sly… the one with the world in her hands. I'm Sakura Kinomoto. And as long as that name stands, this is my game and I'll play it right.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

When Sakura and Tomoyo had come back into the house, Eriol was intently talking on the phone while Syaoran looked over Josh's laptop. After a few seconds, Eriol snapped shut his cell and looked at Syaoran, who looked up, and at Sakura.

"We, have a problem." His voice was calm but worried at the same time.

"What?" Sakura sounded excited and irritated.

"That was Nade on the phone just now. They have her under custody…" He looked at Syaoran. "She was supposed to only meet with Houston and the president but they dragged in the CIA into the meeting and now she's stuck. I'm sure of it that they'll keep her for at least 24 hours."

"What was she doing in D.C.? There really isn't anything to talk about." Sakura was angry.

"She wanted to discuss about the operation that would go under soon as you arrived. Since you know more about Fang's operations, she'd figure it was time to take a chance and reveal that she was still alive. And as for the operation, she knew that by having the government informed to a certain extent would keep them from interrupting her plans. But to much displeasure, those fools decided to take her under questioning." Eriol finished. He took a breath and tried to read Sakura's expression.

"So… that's it? We're stuck?" Sakura asked.

"For the moment yes, but first thing's first. We need to get moving. They probably traced the call Nade made to us." As he spoke, Eriol walked over to the large steel sink in the kitchen and stuck his phone down the drain. He flipped on a switch and the machine ground the phone into dust. 

"We need to get her out." Tomoyo suggested.

"As inhumane as I might sound for what I'm about to say, but why do we need my mother?" 

"You're right. Your mother didn't want to be extracted. She said she was going to be out soon. It's true that she has connections that may help us make this _job_ a lot easier. And all her resources only answer to her. I'm simply known as the accomplice. But she wanted us to go on without her for now." Eriol answered.

"Ok…" Sakura looked at Syaoran. "How's the laptop doing?"

"You were right. It was tagged. Thankfully, we were able to block the signals that they were receiving and I think we can trace it back to Fang and find out where they are." Syaoran closed the laptop and put it back into the suitcase.

"Ok, so we need to get out and find Fang." Sakura thought to herself out loud. "Oh yeah, that's the laptop that the system control for the Vault is in. But I'm sure Josh went through precautions to protect it somehow." She paused. "Are you sure there isn't something other than the bug?" Sakura asked concerned.

Just then, they heard a small beeping sound. They all turned towards the suitcase. Sakura's eyes widened. 

"Get out now!!! NOW, NOW!" Sakura shouted. Syaroan bolted out of his chair and grabbed something before running towards the back door. Eriol grabbed Tomoyo's hand and pulled her out the door. Sakura was shortly behind Eriol when the four ran out the door and a huge explosion erupted from the kitchen. Their bodies were thrown forward into the sand. Sakura shut her eyes tightly until the debris slowly fell from the sky. After a few seconds, the four opened their eyes and looked at the mansion. A portion of it was blackened with fire and completely blown away. Chips of wood floated down like snow. Sakura pulled her dust-covered body up from the sand. "So much for the lead…"

"Not quite. I made a copy of the hard drive before I did anything." Syaoran spoke dusting off the powder from his jeans and shirt. 

"You're not all that dumb after all…" Sakura smiled. 

Eriol helped Tomoyo up who was a bit dazed. "Come on, we need to start moving. Nade has a safe house in Texas." (Sweet Angel!!! Wassup grl! This is for you!!!) Eriol started to walk across the sand towards the roadside. The rest followed silently leaving a trail of footprints in the warm fine sand. This was just the start.

SourPop1004: Chapter 11 is done, baby! Hehe… anwyay, like I said in the last line, this is just the beginning. I didn't think the plot would get this TWISTED but it did and it'll be fun. Hehe… I hope you write some more wonderful reviews, and thank you so much for reading. See you all next chapter… in Texas. Hehe… Ja~

Ps. TSD will be longer than 15 chapters. Thanks for all your suggestions. Email me with any comments at xxgodslight012xx@aol.com. 


	12. Crossing Fate

SourPop1004: Wassup people! I hope you enjoy this chapter and leave lots of awesome reviews. See you at the bottom. 

The Salsa Dancer

By: Moi!

Tomoyo quietly read a magazine, but her mind was elsewhere. She jumped a bit when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Daidouji, it's alright, they'll be fine." Eriol reassured her.

Tomoyo smiled. "Yeah… and you can call me Tomoyo. There's no need to be formal." She stared back at her magazine. The large black letters in an article read, "U.S. Under Seize." There was a blurry picture of Fang in the corner. In a couple of hours, when they would arrive in Houston, Texas, Sakura and Syaoran would drop them a word.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sakura sat in Syaoran's kitchen table. She looked up at him.

"I can't believe I'm doing this but are you ready?" Syaoran asked as he ran his hand through his hair.

"Life's crazy ain't it? I can't believe it either. You helping me steal-" Sakura was cut off by Syaoran.

"_Borrow…_" He corrected with a smile.

"Fine, anyway, I can't believe you're helping me _borrow_ something from the CIA." Sakura smiled flamboyantly. "But it is funny…" 

"You take pleasure in everything that's wrong and twisted…" Syaoran raised an eyebrow.

"What can I say? I'm strange." Sakura laughed.

"Anyway, you know what to do?" He made sure, looking at the woman seated in front of him. Sakura pushed up the square black glasses in front of her brown eyes and adjusted her bushy brown hair, which was gathered with a black scrunchie. Clad in a regular black suit, she smoothed out her skirt.

"Do I look like her enough?" Sakura asked.

"Yup. That's Miranda alright." Syaoran conformed. "Ok, so anyway, the real Miranda always checks in at 7:35 a.m., which is exactly twenty minutes from now. I'll come in about the same time to help you get through the security checkpoint. From there, remember, this is critical. You don't do this in order, they'll suspect something. Ok, after clearance, you directly go the lounge and get a cup of coffee. Make your way to your desk, which is in the far-left corner next to Yoritomo's office. Sit down, take a sip and skim through the files on the desk. Check your watch, at exactly 7:51 a.m., you'll have clearance to go into the main computer in a room labeled System Prep. Miranda's the only person that has access to that room to check for any disorders in the main computer system. You will have exactly five minutes to download the Scrambler onto a disk. After that, get out and go back to your desk. Just fiddle with your files for ten more minutes. Then get up and ask Derryl, the man next to your desk if he wants his usual and get out. I'll meet you outside at the Starbucks on Oak Pine and Millford. Is this all clear?" 

"Yeah, yeah. We went over it like a bazillion times. Don't fret. You know I won't screw up. You just worry about _your_ cover story." Sakura pointed out before getting up. "This Miranda is so routine…" She mumbled to herself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

They had safely gotten through the security checkpoint. Sakura was ready for her show. She felt the tingle of excitement course through her just like before every mission. _Let's do this…_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sakura sat impatiently drumming her slender fingers on the round glass coffee table. She took up her cup and took a sip of hot steaming tea. She looked up to see a college boy walk by and give her a wink. It was surprising that the coffee shop was packed with people during times like these.

By now she had lost her disguise and was back into something more relaxing: a pair of ultra low-rise jeans, a pair of Adidas (no Nikes for now…sigh…), a white halter top since the weather had gotten much more humid, and a white quarter-sleeve zip-up jacket to match the halter top. She flashed back a bright smile at the boy with sunglasses and a black cap put back wards on his head. The guy sat across the room and kept staring at her direction all the while he chatted away with his friends. Sakura mentally smirked as she sat clutching a thin flat disk case. She glanced at her watch. _Where are you…_ Her thoughts were interrupted when a waitress came to her table with a note on a napkin.

"The gentleman over there sent this over." The waitress put down the napkin in front of Sakura and left.

__

Hey, I couldn't help noticing that you were alone. You want to maybe catch a movie or something later… or maybe some other "things"… you look like you need some more fun in your life. Send me a reply.

John

She gave it a thought. It was true she needed more fun in her life, I mean, with the whole terrorist thing and save the world, blah, blah. Sakura smiled and heard the table across the room crack up with howls and hoots. Was this some sort of joke or was this how college guys picked up girls now a days? Never the less, she couldn't resist the fun. She turned the napkin over and called over the waitress. Sakura borrowed a pen and scribbled something on it. She sent the waitress on her way and saw Syaoran walk into the busy coffee shot. He spotted her and made his way through. He was about to sit down when Sakura popped up. She caught them looking at her from the corner of her eyes. She threw her arms around Syaroan neck and gave him a deep passionate kiss. She pulled away and grabbed his hand. 

"Hi love, I thought we were meeting at Cindy's daycare." She emphasized the words 'Cindy's daycare' so it was loud enough for the table across the room to hear. With that she pulled him out of the shop and burst out laughing. She looked into the wide clear window and found the guy reading her reply. She laughed even harder when she saw his expression turn from angry to something like he just drank down a gallon of sour milk.

On the other side of the napkin: 

__

That sounds like fun… maybe when you're older.

Sakura turned away with a satisfied grin. She knew she was only a year or two older than the guy in the shop, but maturity and experience-of-life-wise, she was way ahead of the game. She and Syaroan started walking towards Syaroan's car, when she found him staring at her.

"What was that all about? 'Cause I know you never kiss me unless you need to escape or you have decided that the world has done you wrong and you need to beat the crap out of me. And also for the fact that 'Cindy' isn't at the daycare." He informed her with a boyish grin.

"Don't ask. But it was a hell lot of fun." She smiled and walked faster, reaching his car.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"Ok, so now are we headed 'home'?" Sakura questioned as she sat up in her seat on the airplane. She looked at her seat partner; a man dressed in a business suit with slicked back blonde hair.

"Yeah. We'll meet Tomoyo and Eriol there." He looked at Sakura who was quietly sitting in a business suit as well with short curly blonde hair.

"So is it possible for us to decode Josh's security system on the laptop?" She questioned tucked a loose hair behind her ear.

"We'll have to see. The scrambler we got from the CIA consists of hundreds of the most known decoder systems. But I'm not sure if it'll be able to crack the wall. We'll just have to see." He assured her. There was a moment of silence.

"When this all ends, what…do you think will happen…to me?" She asked timidly.

"I don't know. Even though you're helping us, I'm pretty sure that they'll still come up with millions of offenses. But I guarantee you that your sentence will be lighter." He looked at her sadly for the first time. She always seemed so strong and unshaken by the law, but now here she was asking of what was to come of her.

__

Right…I'll be stuck behind bars for the rest of my life if I don't get the death penalty. Damn… life sucks… I've got only two ways to go. Die or disappear… death sounds far easier than the latter…

Sakura got up and excused herself to the bathroom. She walked down the tight aisles and waited for the occupied sign to turn green. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Tomoyo sat on swing of the dark shaded porch in the backyard of the huge ranch house. As it swung back and forth in a melodic manner, she couldn't help but think of all the craziness in her life as of now. Like any other time she needed to think, she began to sing. She figured no one was home and she doubted anyone could hear her except the cattle, but she even doubted that since the fields were dark and gray with rain. The song started as a slow hum, but she found herself shouting out the words with all the force. Even through the pain, there was no strain in her melodious voice as she closed her eyes and sang. She simply felt like crying, just like the sky.

The black clouds and the dark wet ground seemed to blur along the line of earth and sky. When she heard a light knocking sound behind her, she stopped singing and turned around to see Eriol leaning against the doorway.

"You didn't tell me you sang so well Miss Daidouji." He complimented with a smile.

Tomoyo was surprised at herself for not blushing like a madwoman. "Thank you. It's just a hobby."

"Doesn't seem like it. Have you ever sung professionally? You should…"

Tomoyo's eyes narrowed a bit but the look disappeared.

"Why don't you sing me something? Something more bright?" He suggested as he walked closer.

"How could I? The sky's so dark… just like everything else right now." She quietly continued to stare out. She seemed to stare at things constantly now a days.

"That's understandable." He replied curtly. He walked to the banister around the porch and leaned against it. "Things will get better. They always do." 

"Yeah…" Tomoyo whispered in a tiny voice. She found herself focused on something other than the dark outskirts of the ranch. Her mind seemed to concentrate on the man in front of her. With his smooth British tongue, she found herself feeling strange things. Perhaps a crush. 

The last time she had been with anyone was the one mistake she'd regret forever. Jason Torimi. The name struck a chord of hatred through her. She was never a person of hate, but this man was an exception. She had just graduated from college when she met him. He was a few years older than she was, but that didn't matter. He was polite, intelligent, honest, or so it seemed. She had been going out with him for about a year. He told her he was part of a big producing company and that he wanted to sign her up a contract. She was thrilled, but that soon changed when everything went wrong. At one point in their relationship, he began to put her off and only start contacting her when he needed money to pay off some debts. She was naïve and helped out the man a couple of times. Push came to shove and the rest was history. Because of that one man, she never sang again. Not professionally anyway. And to think this was only a few years ago. 

She pulled herself out of the thought and kept watching Eriol with curiosity and wonder. If she was ever to find anyone meaningful, she decided it to be Eriol Hiragizawa. 

~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sakura tapped her foot in wait. Whoever was in there was obviously having digesting problems or having a major make-out session. She heard an announcement come over the intercom.

"We'll be arriving shortly."

Sakura groaned as the door still stayed locked. Losing her patient, she knocked on the door with rage. _Fuck…_ When her knuckles came in contact with the door quite hardly, the door popped open. What she saw inside was not what she was expecting. _Fuck…again…_

She quietly shut the door and left the red occupied sign on and made her way to her seat.

Syaroan looked up. "Where were you? Was the bathroom line that long?"

Sakura made a face at him. "We have a little problem."

"Wha-" Syaoran was cut off by Sakura sudden jerk of his hand. She pulled him up out of his seat and yanked him towards the bathroom. She swung open the door and Syaoran's objections and questions ceased immediately. There in the toilet seat, a gray metal box was duct-taped to the bowl. The blinking clock flashed ugly red numbers that were counting down. 00:34:12…00:34:11…00:34:10… Syaoran shot her a look of panic.

"Fuck? Got that right. Why do I feel like we're in deep doodoo?" She asked with the same look.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Eriol turned around so he was facing Tomoyo as he leaned on the rail. Tomoyo was dressed in a pair of jeans and a loose T-shirt, yet she still looked radiant. He always found himself in a trance when around her. Was this some sort of sign of _love_? He quickly brushed the thought away. He had given up in _loving _anyone a long ago. With his parents gone and no means of relatives, he was alone, as always. 

He had met Nade in London after he had graduated Oxford University a couple years back. He was top of his class with a major in law. Of course, that didn't mean he wasn't into the computer gizmos he's already so an expert today. She had come to him with a job offer. Of course, he had no clue what he was getting himself into. He had only been a clueless _nerd_, you could say. He had a second choice. To join a respected law firm that had invited him to come work for them. If that faithful day so many years ago he had decided to join the firm, history might have been different. But he looked back and only reasoned that if he hadn't joined Nade, Sakura Kinomoto would be screwed over big time like the rest of the world. Fate was a strange thing. It was intricate and complex. If all the courses of actions did not cross and intersect at the right time and place, the universe wouldn't be turning the way it was now. 

"Is something on my face?" Tomoyo asked curiously as she touched her face.

"No. I'm sorry for rudely staring." He apologized with his English accent.

Tomoyo just smiled and said it was okay. He was such a gentlemen, she found herself thinking.

The two just stayed there in silence for a few seconds. Just then, Eriol broke the silence.

"Miss Daido-, I mean Tomoyo, I would like to ask you a favor, if you don't mind." 

Tomoyo looked up. "Sure. I don't mind."

"If this 'situation' comes to a favorable end, promise me that you'll at least try to get a record deal. I think you sing beautifully. For that talent to go to waste working for the CIA, it's not worth it. This country has enough people to serve it. Never hurts to have another artist though."

Tomoyo gave a gentle smile. "I'll think about it, but I like the way it sounds." Eriol returned the smile with an equally bright one.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sakura pulled Syaoran into the bathroom where they were squished into the tiny space.

"Ok, now how do we get out of this?" Sakura asked angrily with a hint of sarcasm.

"We have to disconnect it…somehow…" Syaoran trailed off. "We don't have any wiring kits do we?" He asked with equal terror and excitement.

"Gee, sorry. I left all my spy stuff at home. Of course I don't! Would I be standing here if I did?" Sakura shot back sarcastically.

"Ok, ok. Think. No more fighting. It's only going to get us blown up faster. We have 31 minutes to disconnect the bomb or we're not even going to have a 'doodoo' to begin with.

"Can't we ask around the plane for any wiring kits, or even maybe the cockpit?" Sakura suggested trying to think.

"Yeah, why don't we do that. _Excuse me sir, would you by any chance be carrying a wiring kit advanced enough to help us out? You do? Thank you so much. Now we can go and try to disconnect the bomb in the next thirty minutes or we'll all die. Have a nice day._ I don't think so. But the cockpit might. Only if we don't get everyone worked up." He replied.

"But that means we're going to have to tell them who we are, and last time I checked, I don't think they'll let a terrorist's henchman walk away from a U.S. plane. And I don't think you're supposed to be going to Texas when you're supposed to stay in LA. So now tell me. Is anything wrong with the plan?" Sarcasm made her calm. To a certain extent anyway.

"We could get a knife from the kitchen or something." Syaoran suggested thoughtfully.

"Is it safe to use a plain knife? Whatever, I'll be right back." Sakura exited the stuffy bathroom. She made her way to where a woman was standing flipping through a magazine. She looked up and smiled.

"Yes? How may I help you?"

"Do you have a knife, like a real one, not the plastic kind. And also, do you have a pair of sharp scissors?" Sakura asked hopefully. She tried to ignore the fact that she sounded like some psychopath trying to get her hands on something sharp.

"Wha-?" The woman was cut off.

"Please, don't ask. I really need it. And I'm sure you'll be needing too, so could just give it to me and ask questions later?" Sakura tried to sound as sane as possible. 

"I'm sorry, but I must know what it's for since lunch hasn't been served yet." The woman was getting concerned and defensive.

"Ok," Sakura took a deep breath. "I REALLY don't have time for this. You don't give me the damn knife or you can kiss your ass good-bye. Knife please." Sakura was getting mad. She understood the woman was only doing her job but there's a bomb in the plane. She figured protocol was not something to get clingy too.

"What are you talking about?" She was getting mad too. Who wouldn't?

"Just give me the knife please." Sakura was getting impatient.

"Bu-" The woman was cut off again.

"Ok, I had it." Sakura threw a light karate chop at her neck. It was still affective. The woman dropped to the floor. Sakura stepped over her and looked around the small space. She went through drawer after drawer until she finally pulled out a sharp knife triumphantly. She smiled but frowned when she saw the woman on the floor. Sakura thought for a minute and then came up with an idea. She grabbed a wine bottle from a cabinet and opened the top and poured half the content down the little metal sink making sure there was no trail in the sink. She put the bottle down on the counter after pouring a bit of wine into a clear class. Sakura dragged the body of the woman over to the wall and made her lean against it. She pressed the glass against the woman's lips a couple of times in different areas, leaving violet prints all around the cup. She placed the glass in the woman's loose grip. Sakura stood back and observed the scene. Perfect. The woman looked like she had passed out from too much drinking.

"How'd it go?" Syaoran asked as he looked up from his position. He was crouching down to examine the explosive.

"Let's just say the nice lady who gives us peanuts is a dead drunk. Anyway, I did get the knife." Sakura handed Syaoran the knife.

"Ok... Keep watch from outside. I'll call if I need something."

Sakura went out and shut the door again. She leaned on the wall across from the bathroom, which was like a foot and a half of space. Sakura wandered up and down the aisles but not enough for people to get suspicious. She finally poked her head into the bathroom to see how he was doing.

"I'm almost there. Help me. The wiring is really complex." Sakura stepped into the bathroom. The red clock flashed 00:11:54

~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Tomoyo and Eriol had come back into the house. While Tomoyo made herself and Eriol some tea, Eriol was in another room. He sat in front of his laptop as he spoke into his cell.

"Nade, I picked up something on the satellite. The plane Syaoran and Sakura are supposed to be in is rigged. I switched the radar to Infer Red and it picked up something. Want me to call?" Eriol listened intently.

Tomoyo had finished making her tea and was waiting for Eriol. She didn't want to call out so she made her way to the room he was in, which was upstairs. She quietly walked up the stairs and stopped in front of the door. She was about to knock when she heard something and stopped dead cold.

"Are you finished with your business in Moscow?" He was silent for a few seconds as he listened. "Ok, I'll see you in a couple of hours, and I'll call Syaoran." Silence. "Are we still going with the plan? All right, after I get the Scrambler from Syaoran, he'll be gone. But what are you going to do about Sakura?" Silence. "Fine. If you think she won't turn on us…" Silence. "Oh yes. Touya. I'll contact him immediately." Silence. "What about Tomoyo?" Silence. "Fine." He hung up on Nade and dialed up Syaoran's cell number.

Tomoyo stepped away from the room. What was Eriol talking about? Syaoran, gone? Something was up, and she didn't like it. She would have to contact Syaoran right away. And didn't Eriol say Nade was in D.C. talking to General Houston and the President. What was she doing in Moscow? This was getting too twisted.

__

SourPop1004: Hi. I know I ended in a cliffy, but I want the second half to go into the next chapter. So, just hang tight. Um… the plot really REALLY gets screwy from now on. My head's like starting to hurt from the craziness. Haha… anyway, I hope you enjoyed and please leave your wonderful little presents. (reviews.) Ja~


	13. The Code

SourPop1004: Hey there! Here's chapter 13! I'll see you all at the bottom. Enjoy~3

Ps. The season finale of Alias… sigh…anyway, I've got awesome little things to stick into my story from the show. I hope it'll bring more… interesting spices to the story. Hehe…

Pps. I WATCHED MATRIX!!! AWESOME MOVIE! Anyway, I'll be inspired further more with my fight scenes. Hehe… anyway, go and read. 

Ppps. I have one last thing to say about recent events.

Pppps. Sorry. haha…this is the last one. Read the bottom for some news regarding TSD.

The Salsa Dancer

By: Guess who?

The flashing red number was counting down. Syaoran wiped the sweat off his brows and focused between a purple wire and a white one. 00:03:21…

"Syaoran, how many more wires to go?" Sakura asking peering over his shoulders. 

"Four…" He sliced through the purple wire with the sharp edge of the knife. Nothing happened. The two released a sigh of relief. All of the sudden, the red light stopped. The bomb had stopped ticking.

"Did you finish already?" Sakura asked confused.

"No. It just… stopped…" Syaoran spoke in bewilderment. He examined the open box with wires poking out wildly. There was a tiny red light blinking in the corner of the box. "Why didn't I see this before? This thing has a remote detonator. Someone can blow it anytime." He turned his head and looked up at Sakura.

"Remote controlled or not, we need to stop it." Sakura gave him a nod, and Syaoran snipped away the last wires. He finally stood up and stretched his back.

"Ok, since that's out of the way, we have to figure out if the owner of this… toy…is onboard or not." Syaoran picked up the jacket off from the metal sink he had taken off earlier. Sakura nodded again.

The two exited the bathroom. Syaoran took a deep breath of the fresh air outside the bathroom.

"Airplane air ain't exactly _fresh_ but hey, whatever floats your boat." Sakura commented with a smile. 

Just then, they heard a scream come from the end of the plane. Sakura looked at Syaoran. "I think we can say that our mystery bomb-man has been found." She replied sarcastically.

"Yeah… but careful. It might be Fang's men." Syaoran warned as he looked on into the next part of the plane. He saw a glimpse of a man with a gun yelling.

Sakura reached around to her back and felt nothing. "Forgot a gun… got one handy anywhere?" She spoke to him without looking. 

"In the bag. I'll go get it. Don't go running into the middle of it. We're lucky they didn't see us yet." Syaoran turned around and started off towards his seat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Tomoyo was back downstairs in the kitchen. The clean white countertop flashed from the thunder striking the dark sky outside. She breathed in and out, repeating the patterns of breathing to herself. She pulled out the chair from the kitchen table and sat down watching the steam rise from the fresh cups of tea.

Eriol walked into the room.

"Is the tea done?" 

Tomoyo jumped out of her chair in surprise. She tried to cool herself but that was impossible. She slowly backed up towards the counter.

"Y-yeah…th-the tea's done." Tomoyo stammered in part fear and in part sorrow.

Eriol approached her with a questioning look. "Are you all right? You look a bit shaken." Every step he took towards her, Tomoyo backed away until she hit the counter. Thunder struck again, flashing a silhouette of Eriol. He was only a foot away from her. "Is something wrong?" He asked again concerned.

Tomoyo stared into his dark blue eyes with her violet ones. She felt her right hand creep up the side of the counter and on top in search of something, anything. "I'm fine. I'm just…a little rattled from the storm. That's all." She reassured him with a small smile. "You're teas getting cold." She suggested as she looked towards the table. Her hand had come across a knife. She had been using a little earlier to cut some lemons for the tea. To her great displeasure, he put a hand over hers, the one clutching the knife, while still staring right into her eyes. Tomoyo felt the tension rising. Not even thinking, she whipped around and to her relief, the cutting board was in front of her with the half lemon rolling around. "So, do you want some more lemons in your tea?" 

"No… I'm fine." He answered calmly in an eerie tone.

"Oh, ok." She quickly took the slices she had chopped up hastily to the table. She dumped the pieces into her hot cup. The tea flowed barely over the edge of the rim. She watched as Eriol sat across from her with his own cup. He watched her intently as she picked up her cup. Anyone would have thought it to be normal but his keen sight caught the shake in her grip. She looked up when he spoke.

"For the past couple of years as I've worked with Nade, I've learned many new things. One of them was observation. I've been all over the world and have met many people of diverse places. As different as they all were, one thing was always the same. One emotion that seemed to be the most intriguing to me. One that could be spotted no matter where you stand on the earth…" He paused. "Fear." Dark shadows seemed to dance in his eyes. He sipped his tea with a quiet-cool that seemed to say so much more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Syaoran had returned with a gun in one hand and another in the other hand. He handed her one.

"I'll take the front end of the plane, you take the back." Syaoran instructed in a whisper.

"Right." Sakura nodded and they were off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"I'll ask only once more. Why are you acting this way?" Eriol spoke calmly, but with a malice of it's own.

Tomoyo looked down at her cup. She set the half-empty tea down on the table and stared straight ahead. "Don't ask me anything ever like that. It's very much unappreciated. And for your information, I'm perfectly fine." Tomoyo got up with her head high and walked out of the room. Her training had finally decided to kick in and she was able to control herself. How did Sakura handle this everyday? She was sure Sakura was always up against the worst but how did she ever stay calm in uncomfortable situations? 

Eriol looked up from his tea at the staircase as Tomoyo climbed to the top and disappear. He thought deeply. Maybe she had heard something.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sakura tucked the gun in the back of her waistband to hide the weapon. She adjusted her skirt and made it look like she had just come from the restroom with absolute no idea of the happenings currently. She spotted an empty seat near the back and aimed her direction that way. She walked fast but was stopped by a man with a gun. He grabbed her around her neck and pointed the gun threateningly.

"What are you doing up out of your seat?!" He barked out outraged.

"I-I was… I just came from the bathroom…Please don't hurt me. Please…" Sakura whimpered.

"Go sit down over there you bitch!" He shoved her towards the empty seat. Sakura fell over but scrambled up and sat down. "Now listen up people! No movements. No talking. No nothing. So just sit down and enjoy the ride. Oh, and please, deposit all your valuables into this bag." The man laughed out cruelly at the petrified passengers as he threw one man in the front a large bag. Sakura wanted to glare but she held back. Her time would come when she would be allowed to pound the man's face into the ground.

Syaoran waited behind the curtains as he peeked through a small opening. There were apparently a man or two in the cockpit and two others in the front seats. One had a small machine gun strapped around him while the other had a handgun. He put the gun into the inner pocket of his jacket and went through the curtains. Deciding to play the same card as Sakura, he tried to look as confused as possible. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Tomoyo sat down on her plush quilted bed. She had locked her door and was now deep in thought. Unintentionally, her hand ran over the soft bed cover, feeling every stitch and bump on the fine quilt. The large clear windows stained with rain were wide open. Harsh winds and knife like rain blasted into the room. Tomoyo found herself falling into her mind. Just like when her father had left her and her mother.

It was around the time she and Sakura were best friends. Her father and mother had decided to get a divorce. And that day he finally left, she had sat in her room alone with the winds rushing in and out of the room, sucking her sane life away.

The same feeling at the pit of stomach had seemed to return from so many years ago. At least then he had Sakura to help her get through it, but now she was alone. How, who would she explain this to? The madness and deception? Sakura and Syaoran were still gone. Who would understand? When she had chosen to become a CIA, she knew there would be a sacrifice of sanity and a real life, but had she never thought of something like this. The whole thing was too big of a mess to even be comprehended. Her mind seemed to fall deeper and deeper into its forbidden place.

Breaking from her trance, she jumped up from the bed and treaded across the wet carpet and slammed the window shut. 

__

Ok…ok…think Tomoyo. Do not freak out. Do not panic. You were trained to handle pressure. Tomoyo's mind paused a moment. _Damn! I'm in a situation with a potential killer that once joked about raping me but there's a HIGH chance he'd kill me if he finds out I overheard some stuff. THAT IS PRESSURE!!! _Tomoyo mentally screamed at herself. She cringed at her thoughts and furiously shook her head. _I need to calm down. Maybe this is all a misunderstanding…_ She continued to argue with herself when there was a knock on the door. Her head snapped towards to the door. (Don't worry. It didn't like break or anything.)

"Y-yes?" Tomoyo replied a bit surprised.

"Tomoyo. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound so rude. Are you all right?" Eriol's mellow voice traveled through the door.

"I'm fine. I'm just a bit tired. I'd like to rest." Tomoyo answered back.

"Oh. Ok. But could I see you before you sleep? I really feel terrible about my manners." Eriol's voice softened immeasurably. 

"O-Oh. A-all right." Tomoyo looked towards her suitcase. She silently ran over and rummaged through. She found the black metal object and placed it into the back of her waistband. Her oversized shirt hid the gun perfectly. Tomoyo closed her bag and opened the door.

"Took you a while there." He hinted.

"Yeah, well, I kind of looked messy. You know women…" Tomoyo trailed off into the uncomfortable silence. "So… you see me. I should really get a nap. And I think you should too." Tomoyo suggested hopefully with a smile.

She watched as Eriol drew closer to her until he was only a breath away. Her heart started to race insanely and the temperature in her body had risen. Maybe it was from the strong attraction she had for him, but something else seemed to take over, fear. Tomoyo found him reaching an arm out around her waist. His face leaned in closely so his lips were right next to her ear. She felt his breath glide across her flushed cheeks and turn her ear pink and white at the same time.

"Miss Daidouji. I believe you don't need _this_ for a nap." Eriol reached under her large shirt and pulled out the gun from her back. Tomoyo's throat ran dry when she saw him pull it out and stare at her with dark eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

When Syaoran had gone through the curtains, a man pointed a gun at his head and motioned for him to sit down. Syaoran silently slid across the aisle and sat down in his empty seat. The same man gruffly spoke.

"Where's the other in the seat next to you?" he questioned suspiciously.

"I don't know. I don't follow people around." Syaoran answered lamely.

The man glared and called over another guy.

"I think we have someone roaming around. Find them." He ordered in a low voice. The other man nodded and started towards the midsection of the plane. 

Sakura turned to look towards the curtains when a man walked in. She saw that he was looking for someone. She realized that this plane was a full one. And that the person that originally occupied this seat would be back looking for it. She cursed under her breath for her stupidity and was about to get up when a plump woman came nonchalantly down the aisle. Her face froze at the sight of the men with guns.

"W-What's this now? What's goin' on? And you there, what are you doin' in my seat?" The woman spoke with a heavy Texan accent. One of the men came over.

"Sit down you blimp. And you!" He turned to look at Sakura. "This ain't your seat? Answer me!" He demanded loudly. The fat woman was on the ground on the verge of tears. Another man had come and was pressing the cold barrel of the gun to the woman's head.

"I don't sit here." Sakura saw that this was her cue and swiftly got up and kicked the gun out of the man in front of her in one motion. Before the man could do anything, she threw a punch, knocking him into the man holding the fat woman hostage. The second man scrambled to get up and collect his gun. As he flung out his hand to pull the trigger of the weapon, Sakura threw a roundhouse kick, hitting him square in the jaw. The man flew towards the floor. The first man was coming back to attack. Sakura quickly bent down and swiped her leg across the lightly carpeted floor. He fell back with a thud on top of his accomplice. Sakura quickly picked up the small handgun the first man was holding. She pointed it at the two men on the floor threateningly. 

"Get up." She ordered forcefully. "Get up now!" She yelled. She watched as the two men slowly rose to their feet. Sakura pushed them towards the curtains. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Tomoyo stood still, stunned to silence. Eriol pulled away and examined the gun. Tomoyo's eyes seemed to be glued to him as he walked around her.

"Now, why would you have this?" He thought out loud.

"It's just a safety measure. Don't _you_ carry one around?" She asked, hoping to put him down.

"Yes. But _you_? I know you are a CIA but still. It's a bit odd for someone who's going to rest. And why did it take you so long to open the door? Could it be that you were arming yourself?" Eriol looked at her from her back.

"Yes. You're right. I was arming myself. I don't feel very safe here." Tomoyo answered uncaringly.

A bit taken by surprise, Eriol recovered. "Why?"

"Because… I didn't want to tell you… but…" Tomoyo trailed off.

"Yes?"

"I saw someone. I don't know what it was but I have this bad feeling that someone followed us here. I saw them outside when you were in your office. I came to get you but I didn't want to worry you." Tomoyo answered sadly and convincingly.

He was silent. Tomoyo hoped with all her heart that he'd fall for it.

"That's why I was so shaken up downstairs. I know I trained for these kinds of things but still. I can't help that I'm still scared." She confessed with a whisper.

"It's all right. If you saw someone, we should definitely check it out."

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sakura had tied up the two men securely, very securely with a roll of duct tape she had found in one of the drawers in the maintenance area. She had shoved the two bodies into the bathroom (without the bomb) and had rolled a heavy food cart in front of the door so they couldn't get out. Sakura quietly peeked through the curtain to see what was going on. There was one man in the front part of the plane. She figured another or two were in the cockpit. 

Sakura saw Syaoran turn around for moment to check the curtain. When she caught his eyes, Sakura nodded. Syaoran turned back.

Along the next thirty seconds, Syaoran got up, knocked the man with the gun unconscious, and received a round of applaud from the rest of the passengers. Sakura came through the curtains and walked towards Syaoran, who had his gun ready.

"Now what?" Sakura asked. She seemed to be asking that a lot these days.

"Cockpit." Syaoran answered curtly.

"Before we go off and do our little good deed, we have some issues to review over. Quickly. One, if we manage to save the day, they'll be asking questions. Two, you're not supposed to be on this plane. Three, how do we explain what we did. That we're some passengers with extreme loves for martial arts? Four, I don't think they'll like it if they find me. I'm kind of wanted all over the nation if you know what I mean. Five, we need to call Tomoyo and let them know what's happening. Six, there's no way to get out without being interrogated. Seven- Should I continue or do you see my point?" Sakura whispered shooting Syaoran a serious look.

"Well, yeah to numbers one through six, but what can we do? We can't exactly save these people _half_ way. And plus, it's my duty to keep the civilians safe." Syaoran replied, irritated with the situation.

"Yeah, but if we get caught, the WHOLE nation of _civilians_ will NOT be safe. Last time I checked, we still have a crazy nut, whom _I _even helped, running around with nuclear weapons. I'm all for this, long as we get out." Sakura was equally irritated and pissed off. Things were getting a bit, what can she say, COMPLICATING?! 

"Ok. I get the point. We'll deal with it later. Now, we need to save these people. Ok? Game plan: save people first, deal with complications later." Syaoran ended the converstaion. Sakura was about to retort but stopped. Since Syaoran was turned around facing her, his back was to the nose of the plane. A man had emerged from the cockpit and looked surprised. He quickly got out his gun and was about to shoot.

"MOVE!" Sakura shoved Syaoran to the side, pushing him away from the gunpoint. She quickly drew her gun and pulled the trigger. The bullet blasted out and sailed through the air. It pierced through the man's chest, splattering blood all over. 

Syaoran was getting up from the sea of people scrunched into tight balls and shivering. He whipped around to see the other man lying on the floor. He turned around to look at Sakura.

The all too familiar pain struck through her left shoulder. Sakura's right hand dropped the gun and instinctively went to her shoulder. She felt the hole in her jacket and blouse. When she withdrew her hand, it was drenched with the red liquid that she had seen so many times on others. The hot sticky fluid dripped from her hand to the carpet, creating small dots of red in random patterns. Her hand snapped back to her shoulder when the numbness disappeared all too soon. She grimaced but managed to keep in the moan. She heard Syaoran's voice.

"You ok? Let me see it." He looked worried. His flawless face truly looked worried. It was a new expression to Sakura. She had seen worried faces before, but never something like this one. She snapped out from her thought and shook her head.

"I'm fine. I'm fine. I just need to…" Sakura trailed off as she prepared herself for what she was about to do next. She grabbed her shoulder and pressed hard with all her might. This time, a pressured scream escaped her lips. She kept on pressing and pressing until she felt the intense pain blur away and was replaced with numbness. She was used to it. When she was out on missions, out there on the field, she had to get through all obstacles. If she was hurt, she had to either suck it up and go on or be left to die. She understood that the brutality of that philosophy was partly responsible for her emotionless strength. 

The first time she had realized "the code" was on a mission where she had to infiltrate a warehouse in Germany a few years ago. She had been shot in the leg during the extraction and was panting and screaming in the middle of the warehouse floor. If she had moved any seconds slower, she would have been dead. That was the most terrifying moment in her life other than the time of her father's death. She had already learned to stop crying but that moment when she sat there clutching her thigh, she knew there would never be tears again. Ever. What brought her to her senses of life and death was when one of the men assisting her in the mission turned around and shouted at her to get up. For that kindness, she witnessed his body get battered by continuous bullets. Other than the sickening fact that she had to suck it in and go, another revelation dawned on her. 

__

If you hesitate, if you even stop to care about anything or anyone, you died. It was either them or you. (I know 'them and you' is grammatically incorrect but who cares? ^ ^)

From that day on, she was invincible. Or so she believed for all these years.

"Are you sure you'll be all right?" Syaroan asked again to make sure.

Sakura was silent. She picked up her gun from the floor with her bloodied hand. "My arm won't stay numb forever." With those simple words, she walked down the aisle towards the cockpit. On her way, she kicked the dead body out of the way. With her gun still at her side, pointing down, she pulled the trigger once more. The body under the gun jerked and more blood seemed to spew from his chest. Sakura's icy behavior had surfaced again. The mercilessness had returned. 

Syaoran followed silently with his gun in a tight grip.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Tomoyo and Eriol went downstairs to the kitchen. He asked her to show him where she saw the shadowy figure. Tomoyo's mind raced as she tried to figure out her cover story. She had a nagging feeling that Eriol knew what was going on. How long would he choose to lead her on? How long before he killed her possibly?

SourPop1004: Hey there people. I know, this was indeed a dark chapter. Next chapter, I'll be bringing back some people and try to lighten the mood a bit. So hold tight, and I'll see you all next chapter. 

Now, I'm sure all of you know what happened, but I'm glad that the problem is solved. Thank you so much for sticking by me fellow readers. Well, please read my bio for my one last update on this problem (solved). Thank you so much again. Through this experience I found out how loyal all of you are. I'm grateful. (^_^) 

Ok. After this chapter (13) I will be taking a break. I'm apparently having a MAJOR HUGE writer's block and my mood isn't helping me either. I've been feeling really…off…I guess you could say. As for chapter 14, I've already started but I have no idea which direction the story's going to go. So, during my break I will be doing the same thing I did for The Intern. Just like Snow I'm writing a one shot to get away from TSD. To those who had their hopes high for a sequel…sorry. Not quite. But I do have some ideas rolling around in my head for the sequel. Anyway, thank you so far for all your reviews and comments.

I hope all of you look forward to my next one shot story. I don't know what the title's going to be but I have "My Song" in mind but I'll just have to write what I feel and see. Thanks again. I'll see you in my next story. (then I'll see you at chapter 14.) ~Ja ne


	14. Foolish Men

SourPop1004: Wassup! Haha…chapter 14 here. I hope you guys enjoy and I'll see y'all at the bottom.

The Salsa Dancer

By: Who else?

Syaoran pressed his cell phone to his ear. He motioned an occasional nod and furrowing of the eyebrows. Sakura looked at him curiously as she munched away at a salad cup she had bought from the airport restaurant. Syaoran slapped his phone shut and turned to look at her.

"Ok. Eriol's sending two doubles over to Idaho so it makes us look like we're running to somewhere in Idaho. We'll be leaving in a short while. Eriol's sending us a car. And as for how we got away from the interrogation, I yet have you to explain." He looked at her thoughtfully.

"What is there to ask? We got away unscratched didn't we?" Sakura replied with a full mouth. She waved the plastic fork she was holding.

"Is your arm alright?" Syaoran asked concerned.

"Yeah. They stitched it up pretty well after we got off." Sakura continued to eat ceaselessly. She kept chewing and chewing until the only thing you could hear was the crunching. Having had enough, Syaoran snatched the fork and salad away from her. She tried to jump up and grab it back but her shoulder sent a shock through her body. She sat back down and pouted.

"Stop chewing will you? Goodness. What is wrong with you? Is this some sort of nervous habit?" He gave her a look.

Sakura only glared. She cursed under her breath and asked for the salad back.

"Only if you tell me how _exactly _we got out of the airport." He stood in front of her and looked down at her figure.

Sakura's straight jet-black hair blew in the light afternoon breeze as she sat cross-legged on the plush green grass in South Houston Park, which was not far from the airport. (This may be impossible but you're in SourPop Land where parks ARE ALLOWED to be near airports. Hehe…) Clad in a pair of ripped jeans and a dark blue shirt she stared at Syaoran who was wearing almost the same thing: jeans, white T-shirt, a jacket, and a black Nike cap. (Nike Lives!!!) 

"Fine. I want my salad back." She glared at him intensely until he handed her salad back. "Ok. Member we ran into the cockpit, kicked butt, caught bad guys, and blah blah. Well soon after we landed and I was treated, you know we were going to get interrogated. Well, while you were at the bathroom, I asked to go to the bathroom too. They didn't deny me since, well, we saved the day and all. Anyway, I had my carry on bag with me, member? I changed into this." She pointed at herself. "They probably thought I was taking a while doing _business_, technically I was, anyway, I came out. They got worried so one of the escorts met up with me at the entrance. She asked me if I'd seen a woman with blonde hair. I told her that she ran off towards a flight entrance with a large suspicious-looking black duffel bag. So naturally they pursued her. So while they ran amuck the airport like idiots, I ran over to the gift shop which was coincidentally not so far from the room we were in. I may be a killer and the whole spy stuff but that doesn't mean I can't be a good old-fashioned shop lifter." Sakura smiled. "After I _borrowed_ the stuff I needed for you, I went over to the men's room and looked for you but you weren't there. So I went to the room where we were being held for questioning and there I met you. A few people were around so we did the whole kick-butt thing and ta-dah, we got away." Sakura finished with a bored look. She pushed a piece of lettuce into her mouth.

"So that's why people were leaving the room so fast." Syaoran thought to himself out loud. "Anyway, do you always carry extra disguises around?" He asked amused.

"Yeah. You can never be too sure. And plus, I carry the hair care products around. I've done it so many times, I can fix, dye, whatever my hair under 15 minutes flat." Sakura pointed out as she popped in some carrots into her mouth.

'Where's that icy exterior or yours? Couple of hours ago on the plane you were a completely different person.' Syaoran thought as he watched Sakura laugh while finishing her salad.

Sakura got up and walked over to the trash can near a tree. She threw her fork and cup into the bin. She looked around. People were having picnics and kids were roller-blading along the walkway. Some were flying kites while some played football. She walked back where Syaoran stood.

"What made you join the CIA?" Sakura asked, surprising Syaoran with the random question.

"What do you mean?" He asked looking at her.

"I mean, I'm sure you didn't want to grow up and be a CIA. What made you join?" The two started to walk across the grass as they conversed.

"You should know."

"What? Are you saying the only reason you joined was because of your father? If that were the case for me, I would have tried to get away from all this as far as possible."

"Yet you haven't. Like you told me in Paris. We're not that different. We both did this for our fathers."

"You could say that but it's different for you. You had a choice. I didn't. I was left with no family. I was raised to do what I do." 

"The case might have been so, but everyone has a choice."

"Cause of this father-child drama, I forgot. What happened to your mother?"

Syaoran tried not to look at her. He stared out at the pond. "She's dead." He replied coldly.

Sakura watched him fidget. "She's not…is she? She's not dead." 

"To me she is. Let's drop the subject, can we? Talk about something else."

"Fine. Tell me about Jessie. With all this running around, I'm sure you haven't had time to see her. Do you even call her?" Sakura asked.

Syaoran snapped around to face her. "Why do you care so much? Does it matter to you? Any of this? And why are you asking me these personal things anyway?" His voice sounded calm yet strong.

"Answers in order. I don't care. It doesn't matter to me. Any of it. And I just wanted to know. Is that so wrong?" Sakura's face was expressionless. "And it's fun irritating you."

Syaroan just let out a sigh and turned back to walking and staring straight out. "I haven't called her yet. I don't know what's going on with her, me, us."

The two stopped in front of the pond. Sakura sat down on a wooden bench while Syaoran just stood at the edge of the water. Sakura's voice softly spoke.

"You don't love her. You never have."

Syaroan clenched his fists real tight. So softly spoken yet unearthly true and powerful. "What makes you say that? I thought you didn't know love."

"Maybe it's a bad relationship that has turned me bitter but don't be fooled. I've loved." Sakura's voice had lost its life. Her own confirmation of her life seemed to send a shiver up her spine. She got up from her seat and slowly approached him. The bright sun had disappeared behind the dark clouds. Storm clouds started to roll in from across the sky. (Member it was raining at the safe house where Eriol and Tomoyo were.) Tiny drops of water began to fall from the sky leaving small wet spots on the ground. The light shower soon turned into pounding rain. The sharp drops pelted Sakura's head and shoulders with each step she took towards him. 

He turned around to face her when she was only a foot away. People all around them were all fleeing the rainy scenery with their picnic baskets and blankets. Within minutes the whole park was cleared. Sakura took one last step and looked up at Syaoran. Rain drops pooled at her chin and dripped to the ground. Tiny droplets were gathering on her long eyelashes. Syaoran reached up and pushed away the wet hair from her face. His hand moved down towards her lips. His thumb fingered her lower lip, which was now turning red and purple from the cold rain. 

"You're wrong. I do love her." He replied with a mist of hot air coming from his mouth.

Sakura placed her hand over the one that was playing with her lips. "Don't lie to yourself. But if you truly believe that, I'm at no position to say otherwise." She moved his hand away from her lips and to her flushed cheeks. "Yes, be faithful. Don't hurt her like I was hurt. No one deserves that kind of pain. No one." (Reference to chapter 3) Sakura slowly pulled his hand from her face. She gave him one last longing look before turning and walking off through the rain towards the parking lot where their ride would be waiting.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Jessie sat in her cushy couch in a pair of shorts and tank top. She pulled her knees to her chest and hugged them. She stretched out her left arm and observed the ring on her finger. It shined and twinkled in the slightly darkened living room. She admired it for a few seconds before bringing it to her chest and holding it close to her heart. 'Where are you Syaoran…' A tear rolled down her smooth cheek and landed on her ring.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

A black Cadillac SUV swerved into the empty parking lot of the park stopping in front of a woman standing at the edge of the sidewalk. Sakura opened the door of the backseat and got in, wet and dripping. Syaoran came running through the pounding rain and jumped into the passenger seat of the SUV. He instinctively turned around to look at Sakura's face. She was soaked from head to toe. Water from her hair dripped onto the leather seats and occasionally ran down her face. Her cheeks were a rosy-red from the cold, and the lips he had been playing with a while ago were pale. He couldn't tell if she had been crying because of the rain but he could just see the glossiness over her eyes. Then again, it could have just been the rain.

He broke away from his observation and looked to the driver of the car. A man around his late twenties or early thirties sat at the steering wheel. He turned to Sakura.

"Sakura. It's been a while." He smiled and started the car again, driving off into the hazing gray rain. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

The car pulled up in front of a large ranch house in the middle of the dirt fields. Sakura got out and marched through the mud towards the house. Syaoran and Touya shortly followed her.

When they got to the door, it swung open and Tomoyo stood smiling. She ushered them into the house.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Syaoran and Touya had gone to Eriol's study. Sakura was upstairs in Tomoyo's room. She sat on Tomoyo's plush bed as she stroked her shoulder. She had thrown away the sling that the doctors had given her. It was pointless. Tomoyo looked at Sakura worriedly as Sakura told her what happened on the plane.

"Are you ok now? Does it hurt? Want me to get you something?" Tomoyo was almost to the point of hysteria.

Sakura firmly placed her uninjured hand on Tomoyo shoulder and smiled. "Calm down. I'm ok. I've been in worst scrapes."

"Oh alright. I was just really worried…" Tomoyo trailed off.

"What is it?" The smile disappeared and Sakura's face was adorned with a frown.

Tomoyo paused. "Darn. Everything's groggy, gloomy but understandable." Tomoyo answered naturally. Sakura was a bit confused.

"Well, the weather tends to make us all dreary. Even though the rain did stop, the sky's dark. But it's nature…" Sakura sympathized. 

Tomoyo nodded. "Yeah… Darn. Everything's groggy, gloomy but unintentional." Tomoyo repeated, giving Sakura a split-second look. 

Sakura paused and looked at Tomoyo. Her brain kicked-in its spy senses and started to sort through tons of information. She quickly blinked when her mind had retrieved what it was looking for. One of the things you learned as a CIA agent was code. Sakura took the sentence Tomoyo had just told her and deciphered it mentally.

'Darn. Everything's groggy, gloomy but understandable.' 

'D-E-G-G-B-U'

She took the first letters of every word and rearranged them.

'B-U-G-G-E-D'

Sakura nodded. "Yup. Hey, you know what'll cheer you up. Let's go outside and smell some fresh air. I know you're gloomy cause of the sky but air will do you some good." Sakura got up and led Tomoyo out of the room and down the stairs.

~~~~~~~~~ 

The two women were out in front of the house. The sky was just starting to clear up but the air around them was cold and sharp. Sakura looked at Tomoyo. Then Tomoyo proceeded to tell Sakura everything that had happened while Sakura and Syaoran were away.

"So for the last hour, I've been walking around the house pretending to be exploring and cleaning while in truth I've been looking for bugs. I found some… a lot actually. They're all over the house." Tomoyo confirmed, ending her story.

"Oh my gosh… you poor thing. I'm so sorry you had to go through that. But for now, we need to figure out what the hell Eriol and Nade's playing at." Sakura answered firmly. She watched Tomoyo nod. "Ok, we have either plan A or B." 

Sakura paused. "A: we go in and throw in some threats and torture and hope we'll get some answers. Or B: Just wait it out and see what they're up to."  


"Plan B sounds better but I'm afraid someone will get hurt." Tomoyo answered perplexed.

"I know, but plan B it is. I'm not sure at the moment if Syaoran should be informed." Sakura pondered for a moment. "I'll tell him later. But not now. Let's go in and check up on them. I have a feeling Eriol and Nade are after the Scrambler that Syaoran and I brought back. That's the key to controlling the vault."

The two nodded and went back inside the house

~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Inside in Eriol's study, he sat in front of the computer intently examining the disk Syaoran and Sakura had brought back. Touya sat in the corner of the room flipping through a newspaper. Syaoran was standing behind Eriol helping him with the decoder disk as Eriol popped it into his laptop. Sakura softly knocked on the open wooden door and walked in. She smiled at Touya who looked up from his paper. Sakura walked towards the desk where Eriol and Syaoran were. Leaning over the large polished redwood desk, Sakura peered at the laptop.

"So how's it going? The Scrambler doing any good?" 

Sakura keenly watched Eriol readjust his glasses. "We have only a few more seconds to go before the program completes downloading onto the desktop." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"Yes. Well I suspect something between Cereza and that Agent Li…" Fang trailed off stroking his chin as he sat in his armchair in his lavish hotel room. Josh watched Fang with blank eyes. 

Since Sakura fled that night, Josh was never the same. He had given up any sort of feelings he had for her when he chose his side with Fang. He often wondered every night if that was the right choice. It's true he had known Fang longer but something about Sakura had made him form a friendly bond with her. Now that she was gone and he was sitting in front of Fang listening to the older man talk of some sort of _bond_ between Sakura and this Agent Li made an unknown feeling swell inside his chest. Jealousy. It was a strange feeling, something he had never felt before. Realizing what this meant, Josh tried to focus on what Fang was saying.

"…we're going to hit the nearest person touchable. Since Cereza and Li are on the run to Idaho, God knows why, we're going to get someone near them, like Li's fiancee. Josh, I want you to set up a small team to raid Miss Parker's home and kidnap her. Li's bound to come. And if he comes, there's a good chance Cereza will too. And I want this to go public." Fang finished but paused for a second when he remembered something. "Oh yes, the laptop. I believe Cereza took that as well. I do not know what she wants to do with it but we have to get it back." Fang gave Josh a look to see if he was paying attention.

"Yes, well she can't do anything with it. even if she finds a way to decode the system, she still needs a piece of chip I removed just in case. Without that piece, the system only reveals the schematics and the technical info about the vault, but not how to control it." Josh answered brusquely.

Fang nodded. "Right. Well, lets hope we get to them before they get to us. Now go and carry on our plan." 

Josh weakly nodded and got up from his seat to leave. Even through all the mess right now, the sickening feeling that he had tried to push away surfaced again in his empty chest.

__

You're in love with her…

…You're a fool

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Eriol had finished downloading and was now scanning through Josh's program to control the vault. The screen reflected brightly on Eriol's clear glasses as he read through the files. Syaoran was right behind him observing as well.

Sakura didn't know when to say anything so she decided to just come out with it.

"So, any word my mom?" Sakura tried to keep the disgusted tone out of her smooth voice when she said 'Mom'. 

Eriol looked up. "Actually, yes. She'll be coming back in a few days." He held a second-long stare before turning back to his laptop.

Sakura wanted to push the questions further but knew it'd look suspicious so she dropped the subject. Sakura walked over to where Touya was sitting quietly reading. With the newspaper fanned out, Sakura saw a large ad on the back of it. She went closer and read the ad.

Texan Style Horse Racing

At

The Golden Horse Shoe

__

Grand opening on Saturday 

Carnival for the kids

Food stands

Lots-o-Fun!

Sakura turned around and was about to talk when Tomoyo came into the room. The skies outside had turned dark since dusk had rolled in.

"Dinner is ready." Tomoyo gave a small smile and walked out.

~~~~~~~~~~~ 

It was half way through the meal when Sakura broke in to suggest about the horse race.

"Are we doing anything official tomorrow?"

Everyone looked at her. Eriol was the one to speak. "Not really. We're waiting for Nade to come back and I need to examine the program more thoroughly." 

"Well that settles it. Let's go to this horse race carnival thing I read about in the newspaper."

"What?" Syaoran sounded surprised. Who wouldn't be? Here she was, suggesting that they go to some carnival while the world could end at any moment cause of some Colombian lunatic who likes to play dirty. 

"You heard me. Carnival. Horse Race." Sakura glared at him. "Well sorry if I don't want to hang around here all day with nothing to do but listen to you and Eriol's mumbo jumbo crap about the computer. And even if you do analyze everything to the last wink, we can't do anything until my mom gets here, right?" Sakura had pushed her plate of food away and was not sitting upright. 

Syaoran just stared at her in disbelief. Eriol just sat there amused, and Touya was silently eating with an evident expression on his face that wanted to burst out laughing.

"Fine. Look at me all weird. You don't have to come. Tomoyo's coming with me. So please hand over the car keys. Tomoyo and I actually want to do something that doesn't involve terrorists running around trying to blow our asses off." Sakura ignored the quizzical look Tomoyo gave her.

"Jeez, calm down. No one said anything. No one's stopping you for God's sake." Syaoran replied calmly but irritated. 

"I'll come." Touya spoke up from his eating.

"Thank you Touya. Someone at least wants to live a little." Sakura shot a nasty look at Syaoran. She got up and put her dishes away in the sink. She walked off towards the stairs to go to her room. Everyone just stared off after her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

The sky was now a complete covering of darkness with dull twinkling stars scattered across the heavens. The clouds from the day's shower had cleared and the night was crisp, clear, and a bit humid.

Sakura sat on her bed staring out the large window. Her long soft curls were back and were now gently resting on her back. Her emerald green eyes were dark. She had no idea what came over her when she burst out during dinner. Thoughts swam aimlessly in her mind. Not being able to stand the damage it was causing her, Sakura jerked up and walked out of her room. 

She quietly tiptoed through the hallways to go downstairs. When she reached the stairs, she heard noises coming from the kitchen. She immediately thought someone was breaking in and swiftly made her way down the stairs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"Damn." Syaoran hissed under his breath. He had dropped a carton of milk when he had been trying to take it out of the fridge in the dark. He picked up the carton from the floor and got a paper towel to clean up the milk from the floor. 

Sakura was at the entranceway of the kitchen. She listened for any sound and when she heard someone moving, she slipped into the room with agility and saw a dark figure moving around on the floor. She reached out to shoot out her arm and grab the intruder's neck when her feet went flying up from something on the ground. Sakura fell back with a heavy thud. Her first instinct was to roll away if the intruder tried to hurt her. She quickly shot to the left and jumped up. She quickly faced the figure and shot out her arm to punch. Surprisingly, the person caught her fist in a large firm grasp.

"Strange. Are you always this suspicious of people who hang around kitchens?" Syaoran light voice came from the dark.

"Syaoran?" Sakura let her arm down to her side.

"Yup. And that stuff you're covered with, it's milk. Just wanted to let you know." Sakura see the sly smug smile even through the dark.

"Oh. Eww." Sakura looked down at herself even thought she couldn't see anything. She felt around her shorts and tank top and felt the cold wetness. Half her face and hair was wet as well. "Exactly how much did you spill?" Sakura sounded disgusted.

"Half of the carton." He replied shortly. 

Sakura slowly walked around trying to find Syaoran through the pitch-black kitchen. "Where are you? And where's the light switch?" Sakura demanded. Before Syaoran could answer, she ran smack into his broad shoulders and almost fell back when Syaoran caught her. (Do ya'll feel some somethin' somethin' bout to happen? Muahahaha…) "Thanks. Can't be falling all over the place…again." Sakura nervously laughed off the hot feeling inside. She was furious with herself knowing perfectly well why she felt so warm while drenched in cold milk. 'No, no, no. Get. It. Out. Of. Your. Damned. Head! He's not right for you! And stop acting like some love-sick teen!' Sakura seemed to be screaming at herself inside. She started to back away when she felt a hand on the back of her bear mid drift.

"Just for once… I wish you'd stop running away…" She heard Syaoran's voice in her left ear.

"I'm not running. And you shouldn't even be chasing me. What would Jessie say?" Sakura's voice was weak, just like her limp body, which now was resting on his chest. For the second time today, she was being the good girl and setting the one man she had any interest, whether she denied it or not, in on the right track so he wouldn't cheat on his fiancée. Oh how she hated the feeling.

"You're right…" Syaroan arm dropped to his side and moved away form her. "God damn… what's wrong with me? This is the second time today. I can't believe I don't even have an ounce of self control." He quietly argued with himself.

"No. It's ok. Long as it doesn't go anywhere…" Sakura paused for a moment. She couldn't help but understand Syaoran's feelings completely for she too was at the edge. For a few seconds, there was silence. "You can't help it. That's what's so weak about the human race. They have to feel and end up submitting to their feelings..."

Syaoran turned around to face her slender lithe figure. "Well, sucks to be human." He replied.

"Yes. It does." Sakura was quiet again. She didn't know what to say. The sole thing she prided herself on was her lack of human feelings, and yet here she was, on the verge of submitting every fiber of her being to just snap his head towards her and kiss him. "Oh…sorry about dinner…I just…I don't know what happened." Sakura broke in trying to furiously kick those wrong thoughts out of her head.

"Oh… it's all right… but I still think it's weird that you wanna go to some horse race carnival while the world is doomed." Syaoran answered matter-of-factly.

Sakura laughed softly while looking down at her hands.

"You're strange. You know that? I mean. You're so different all the time. You're like this one-minute then a totally different person the next. I don't get it." Syaoran watched Sakura look away form him.

"Maybe I'm crazy…" Sakura smiled. "Or maybe it's cause I can't find who I want to be…" Sakura's smile vanished and was replaced with a small frown.

"Well, who do you want to be?" Syaoran asked soothingly. He wanted to hug her but kept his distance.

"I don't know. I have Cereza, who's strong and in charge, than there's Sakura who's so confused about everything and seems like can't handle anything." Sakura didn't even glance at Syaoran because she knew if she did, she's end up doing something she didn't want to do. Cry.

"I can't really tell you who to be. You have to figure that out for yourself. But I will tell you this: Who ever you choose to be, it won't change the fact that the other will always be you as well." 

"Wise words from a foolish man…" Sakura decided it was safe to turn towards him. She didn't know why but anger surged through her. "…who can't even sort out his own feelings." Sakura finished curtly. She stared up at Syaoran with defiant eyes.

It was Syaoran's turn to be quiet.

"I would taunt you further but I'm covered in milk. I'll be going upstairs to clean up. Good night, Syaoran." Sakura walked out of the kitchen towards the stairs. 

Syaoran silently walked over to where the mess was and continued to clean up. "…a foolish man indeed…" He murmured to himself in deep thought.

SourPop1004: Om! Finally I've updated. I'm so sorry people, but I had a massive block in the road. But hopefully that's gone. Soon as I got back into my seat and started to type, things flowed. All these weeks I've been approaching this chapter/story all wrong. I was so concerned about Eriol and such that I was exasperated. But now, I've decided to give this story a bit more of the old spice. As you can tell, this chapter wasn't that eventful, but you can also see that it had lots more…feelings…I guess you could say. Don't worry, there will still be lots of action-packed scenes but you should be expecting more of these little moods cause obviously, the characters have to develop emotionally, Sakura mainly. So, let me say a couple more things and be gone with to write chapter 15.

Thank you for all the awesome crazy kick-ass reviews!!! Muah! I love you people so damn much! Hehe… and I hope you guys continue to review cause that's what fuels me to write write write.

After this long break, I'm going to try to kick my 'arse' back into write mode and get chapters up within every 2 weeks. (I'm so being a British wannabe. Hehe…)

This chapter and 'Old Spice' was greatly inspired by J.K. Rowling and her fifth book even though I was so URGH! with it. It was good. Lots of style, but I guess I just have to get used to the new pissed-off-then-happy-all-the-time Harry. Hehe…

Umm… oh yes. I know in this chapter, Touya was finally introduced. He didn't really do anything but don't yell at me for being a stupid writer. When the time comes, he'll be 'IN' the game. Ok? So just for all the 'dead' characters for now, just hold on and wait cause you guys should know by now that I don't want to introduce a character than be like, 'Yup that's him/her. Bye!' Hehe… So here are the four characters I want you to keep in mind. (Jessie, Touya, Nade, and Tano.)

Also, I've been watching action movies lately and I think I can work them in somehow into my fight scenes. (Charlie's Angels 2 was nice…but so CHEESY! It disgraced me how people fight so…exaggerated and CHEEZY! Hehe… nevertheless, it was funny.)

Sorry this is such a long review, but my absence makes me want to say a lot of things. hehe… anyway, moving on. 

You all k now my email address so please drop me a line with comments/questions/whatever. Hehe… xxgodslight012xx@aol.com

Lastly, this is the one I want to and have to answer. I'm sure. About the whole Eriol/Tomoyo and Sakura/Syaoran thing. 

For E/T, I have a general idea how it'll be. You guys might like it or not but I'm doing it cause I feel it'll be… mysterious (Sweet Angel said that. Hehe…). But whatever I do, the general decision may not be in favor to ALL of your opinions but I'll add some major style for the ending chapters. That's enough about them because I don't want to give away too much. Hehe… ^ ^

And as for S/S (Our fav! Well, mine anyway. Hehe…): I know I've totally killing you guys with all this on/off thing in the story, but hang in there. There will definitely be more S/S stuff from this chapter on. Yay! But even if it does frustrate you that it seems like that they'll never get anywhere, you're wrong. The reason I do this is because I've always hated S/S stories that had them like kissing in the SECOND CHAPTER! So it's like, the plot's not even begun and they're already together. How lame is that? Plus, this tactic I'm using, it' creates lots of tension that'll eventually be released. Think of it this way. When the moment finally comes, you'll enjoy it all the more. ^ ^ 

So with that I'll be leaving ya'll to go and review while I'll go and write chapter 15. Hehe… it's an awesome feeling coming back and being able to write. Thank you all so much. Please review (Lots of reviews please! ^ ^) Ja~

Ps. TSD might go on until when it does, but I'm aiming for 20 chapters. See ya! 


	15. Never

SourPop1004: Hello! Chapter 15, enjoy! See ya at the bottom.

The Salsa Dancer

By: ME!~

"Just cause it's Texas, does it mean I have to wear boots and a big fat hat?" Sakura looked at herself in the mirror. A woman with bright green eyes and long wavy hair stared back. Dressed in a pair of denim low-rise jeans, a blue halter-top, and a pair of pointy black boots, Sakura cringed. "I like everything… except the boots. Can I take it off? It's scaring me." Sakura kicked off the boots and slipped into her white Adidas. "Better." Sakura smiled.

"Well I just wanted to blend in. Ya know?" Tomoyo laughed. She had her hair up in a ponytail and was wearing denim shorts, a pair of tennis shoes, and a yellow shirt. "I guess the boots did look silly." Tomoyo giggled.

"Well, come on, let's go. I think Touya's waiting downstairs." Sakura led Tomoyo out of the room.

"But is it wise? To be going?" Tomoyo shot Sakura a look.

Sakura knew perfectly well what Tomoyo was referring to. "I'm sure it'll be fine. Syaoran'll be here to watch the house along with Eriol." Sakura answered then exited the room.

~~~~~~~~~~ 

Downstairs, Touya was wearing basically the same thing: jeans, shirt, and jacket. He smiled when he saw the two coming down the stairs.

"Let's go." He instructed and went out the door. 

Sakura and Tomoyo went out the door and walked towards the parked SUV while Touya locked the door. As Sakura approached the car, she saw Eriol and Syaoran waiting for them.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you staying home?" Sakura questioned eyeing Syaoran.

"Syaoran and I decided to go. You're right, we do need a break." Eriol smiled at Syaoran who was grumbling. 

"Right then. Let's go. And I'm driving." Sakura piped up getting into the driver seat before anyone could. "Get in people, and buckle up. We'll be going over the speed limit a tiny bit." Sakura smirked.

~~~~~~~~~~ 

"Yeah… a TINY bit. You just went a TINY bit over…" Syaoran sarcastically commented as he tried to get his head straight.

"I actually enjoyed it." Eriol added smiling. 

"You could have killed us all for no reason…as if terrorists aren't enough." Syaoran shot towards Sakura.

"Well, I had fun. Never drove like that for no reason before. It was always some dude trying to kill me…" Sakura trailed off thinking. "Anyway, if it weren't for my expert driving skills, that old lady would have snagged the last parking space." Sakura smiled proudly. "What should we do first? Horse race? Carnival?"

~~~~~~~~~ 

It was in the afternoon when the five went into a saloon style restaurant. They had been enjoying the horse race. They would be going to the carnival after lunch. 

As Tomoyo looked through the brochure she had picked up at the front entrance, Sakura looked around the 'saloon'. It was dim with a few lights glowing. The entrance was a swinging door and to the side of the large room was the bar. On the other side was a large open area where people were eating and chatting happily. The five found a table and sat down. As they looked through the menu, a waiter dressed in a cowboy hat and boots with a note pad came up to them. 

"Howdy. I'm Jake and I'll be your server. What may I get you?" The man was about in his early 20's. He smiled and looked around the table. When his eyes fell on Sakura, he smiled even wider. 

Sakura would have thought the man was cute but she couldn't help but notice the ridiculously large hat on his head. She was about to burst out laughing when everyone started telling the waiter what they wanted.

"I'll have the Rancho Chicken Fajita Skillet…" Tomoyo ordered. The man wrote down the order in his little notepad. Everyone had ordered and Sakura was the last since she was sitting at the end.

"I'll have the same. Thanks." Sakura answered.

"All righty then. I'll be bringing your drinks then orders." The waiter replied and walked off.

Sakura smiled and turned back to talk to Tomoyo who was sitting next to her. Sakura and Tomoyo put their heads together and stared after the man. "I'd say… 8.5 out of 10." Sakura whispered. Tomoyo giggled. 

Syaoran, Touya, and Eriol exchanged weird look.

"But if you focus on his ass… I'd say 9." Tomoyo whispered back. Sakura burst out laughing and tried to cool herself.

The two women parted and turned back to the three men. Tomoyo blushed when they were all staring while Sakura just looked appalled. 

"What?" Sakura questioned innocently.

The five talked idled as they waited for their food to arrive. Every few minutes, Sakura and Syaoran would exchange a glance or two, afraid the others would notice.

Tomoyo was talking about all the things at the carnival when Sakura looked up from fiddling with the saltshaker. She glanced at Syaorna who seemed to look at her as well. Sakura's gaze lingered then turned away to focus on Tomoyo again. She briefly thought of how Tomoyo had gotten over her temporary fear of Eriol and his intentions. Now that she was here, she guessed Tomoyo felt safer somehow. Sakura snapped out of her thoughts when the waiter returned with a large tray full of large plates of food. The man set each one down in front of them and left with polite smile.

Everyone was intently eating when three men dressed heavily in cowboy outfits entered the restaurant. All of them had guns and were pushing people around. Sakura was about to jerk up when Tomoyo pulled her down.

"It's part of the show. It's ok. It's not real." Tomoyo reassured.

"Silly me…" Sakura laughed lightly. Everyone in the restaurant was turned to the three men who were putting on a show for the audience.

Sakura finished up her meal as the show came to a close. One of the men, a bad bank robber, wound up dead and carried out of saloon in a lavish finale as the people in the restaurant clapped and cheered. When the noise died down to just mere talking and chatting, Sakura looked around the table as everyone sat in their seats stuffed.

"Can you guys wait up. I want to buy a drink from the bar." Sakura got up and asked if Tomoyo wanted to come along as well. Tomoyo nodded and the two headed towards the bar.

Sakura and Tomoyo sat down on the tall stools and looked at the menu.

"Hmm… I'll have an Alexander." Sakura ordered and turned to Tomoyo. "You?"

"I'll have a Grasshopper, thanks." Tomoyo replied.

The bartender quickly got to work pouring and mixing. After a minute or two, the man smiled and handed them their drinks. Sakura leaned in across the table and whispered to the bartender.

"Sir, we won't be paying for these. Do you see that gentleman over there?" Sakura pointed towards Syaoran. When the man nodded, she continued. "He'll be paying for our drinks, along with the dinner we had. Is that ok?" Sakura gave her best charming smile since the man was a bit older.

"Sure thing. I'll send Jake over to collect the bill. You girls have a nice day." The bartender warmly smiled and turned away to serve other customers.

Sakura smugly smiled and got up. She and Tomoyo went out the door happily sipping their drinks.

~~~~~~~~~ 

After a few minutes, the three men emerged from the restaurant door. Touya was laughing, Eriol had a pleased look, and Syaoran was scowling. Sakura started laughing with a smug smile as Tomoyo giggled.

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh. But you owe me now." Syaoran grumbled as he shoved his hands in his pockets and walked towards the carnival area.

Sakura finished off her drink and threw the plastic cup into a trash bin as she walked after Syaoran.

~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"Mad?" Sakura looked up at Syaoran with a cute look. 

"No." Syaoran answered curtly.

"You are." Sakura laughed.

"Am not." Syaoran mumbled.

"Hehe… you are." Sakura ran forward towards a game booth with popguns. Soon Tomoyo and everyone caught up.

"Hey, Sakura, I'm gonna go get some ice cream and look around the shop stands. I'll meet you at the Ferris wheel in an hour and a half. Ok?" Tomoyo informed.

"I'll come with your Tomoyo." Eriol suggested.

"Are you sure you wanna go Tomoyo?" Sakura asked eyeing Tomoyo.

"Y-yeah. I'll be fine. Eriol will be there with me." Tomoyo answered.

"Umm… ok then. We'll meet in an hour and a half, sharp." Sakura confirmed a bit worriedly. Sakura said bye to Eriol and Tomoyo. Sakura cringed a bit.

Touya noticed Sakura's expression and frowned.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"No. Nothing's wrong." Sakura answered and turned back to a smile. She'd keep an eye on Tomoyo while she walked around. "So, who wants to play?" Sakura asked as she took up a shotgun in her hand. (She's not gonna kill anyone. It's one those gun game things at the carnival. Hehe…)

~~~~~~~~~~ 

After ten minutes of vigorous shooting at targets, managing to hit every single one, Sakura and Syaoran were carrying each a large stuffed bear. Touya looked pleased.

"You guys were shooting as if you were shooting each other." Touya chuckled. "Hey, I'm gonna go to the bar and get a drink. I'll see you guys at the Ferris wheel at the same time you're meeting Tomoyo and Eriol. This carnival stuff isn't really my thing." He smiled and left after Sakura said bye.

"Guess it's just you and me bucko." Sakura grinned. "Bet I can beat you at the next game. You may choose loser boy." Sakura challenged.

"Alright. The Dunk Tank." Syaoran answered.

"Right then." Sakura pulled Syaoran towards the booth.

The two had made it through a large mob of people and were waiting in line for the game.

"What are we going to do with this huge bear? I don't want to carry it around all day." Sakura complained.

"Too bad. Deal with it." Syaoran replied bitterly.

"Hater…" Sakura mumbled under her breath. 

"Heard that." Syaoran hid a smile.

~~~~~~~~~~ 

An hour had passed and now Tomoyo and Eriol were sitting in a seat on the Ferris wheel. As the ride slowly started to turn, their compartment rose high above the park. Tomoyo looked out the side of the cart and looked spell bound by the sight of the countryside that stretched beyond the carnival and horse track. 

"Tomoyo, why are you afraid of me?" Eriol asked, breaking Tomoyo's silent observation.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Tomoyo's heart was starting to race.

"You're scared, like right now." Eriol pointed out coolly.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not afraid of you. Why, should I be?" Tomoyo asked back. She had just turned the tables on him.

"Of course not." Eriol smiled. "It's just I feel like sometimes you're scared of me or something. That's all." 

"Well, get silly ideas like that out of your head." Tomoyo gave her best laugh.

"Right." 

Tomoyo stared at Eriol's polite face. His eyes seemed to look through her façade and penetrate deeper. She felt the surge of terror creeping up her chest when she stopped it in time before she revealed anything to him. She secretly heaved a sigh. She had just narrowly missed a blow again.

~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sakura and Syaoran were at the parking lot putting their prizes into the trunk of the SUV since they couldn't carry them much longer. Sakura slammed the trunk door shut and locked the car. The two headed back to the main entrance when she spotted a group of teens dressed in baggy jeans and bandanas headed their way. Sakura rolled her eyes and elbowed Syaoran.

"My goodness. What a bunch of wannabes." Sakura commented.

"Wonder if I was like that when in high school." Syaoran asked himself.

"I doubt it. I bet you were the real silent type." 

"Yeah, guess I was." Syaoran answered scratching the back of his head.

The group of boys, who looked around sixteen, came across their path. One blond guy came up to Sakura and smirked.

"Hey there." He greeted with a smirk.

Sakura looked down at his pants disdainfully.

"Pull up your pants. No one needs nor wants to see your boxers." Sakura instructed with a smile.

"Well, maybe so for others, but I know you want to see 'em." At this the blond guy's friends laughed and howled.

"Are you guys supposed to be like _gangsters_ or something? I honestly didn't know they had them here in Texas." Sakura thoughtfully commented. Syaoran held a laugh.

"What you laughin' at fag." The blond glared at Syaoran. 

"Hey! No talking like that to your elders." Sakura slyly commented wanting to laugh herself.

"Elder? Since when am I an 'Elder'?" Syaoran looked at her amused.

"You are older than me, and you are old. Did I mention you're old?" Sakura coyly smiled.

"Right…"

When Sakura turned around to face the blond guy, he was already gone with his friends. They had found some other poor girl to offend.

"Guess I ignored him a little too much." Sakura shrugged and kept on walking. "Gangsters these days are deprived of attention…"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

They had all met up and were now in the car on their way home. Syaoran had taken the car this time and was driving. The mood was pleasant until Touya broke in.

"Syaoran, do you know anyone named Jessie Parker by any chance. She's a CIA as well." He looked at Syaoran from the passenger seat in the front.

"Yeah. I do. Why?" Syaoran looked from Touya to the road.

"While I was in the bar, there was a TV and the news came on. Apparently she was kidnapped by Fang. Do you know her personally?" 

"She what?" Syaoran burst out almost crashing into the car in front of him when the lights turned red. The light turned green again and he started the car. "When?"

"Supposedly last night. There was a ransom note at her house. It said 'You know where to find Jessie Parker'." Touya answered trying to remember anything else the news anchor had said. The car was silent as Syaoran fell in deep thought.

"The note's right." Sakura quietly stated looking out the side window. Everyone turned towards her except Syaoran who wanted to but couldn't.

"Fang's having a party in New York. After the proposition was signed, he was planning to have a get together with his 'clients' to discuss black market plans." Sakura continued not looking at any of them. "He won't do anything to Parker or you. He doesn't want any of you. It's me. He thinks I'll be following you to New York to save her… and he's damn right." Sakura concluded smiling. "It's about time I paid old Papito a visit, no?" 

~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sakura was neatly folding her clothes into her suitcase. Sakura had the black luggage wide open and was sealing weapons into the compartment pockets.

"Won't the airport securities pick that up?" Tomoyo asked sitting on Sakura's bed.

"No. The pockets are made of certain materials that don't reveal anything under an X-ray scanner." Sakura replied. She stopped packing and looked up at Tomoyo from her sitting position on the floor. "You know the problem we're having currently, we need to solve it. I don't think we can play it out. He's showing no signs of anything." 

Tomoyo caught on what Sakura was talking about. "I don't know. I want to, but what would we do?"

"Go up to 'em and confront the little problem." Sakura suggested.

"You're insane. No Sakura. Just go to New York and I'll be here with Touya and Eriol. If I find anything, I'll call Syaoran's phone." Tomoyo assured.

"Fine. But watch yourself. And always be armed. Got it?" Sakura instructed concerned. Sakura finished packing and zipped up her bag. She gave Tomoyo a hug and rolled her bag out the door. "You know it's weird, I've been here only two days and I'm already leaving again." Sakura commented as she and Tomoyo made their way down the stairs. 

~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Tomoyo and Touya said their good byes when Sakura and Syaoran were leaving the house. Eriol said his farewell at the airport where she and Syaoran were dropped off. Eriol had provided Sakura and Syaoran passports and tickets to LA. The two watched Eriol drive off. Sakura took her bag and rolled it into the entrance of the ticket area. They strode through the crowd and got in line where they would be checking in their bags.

"So how does the story go again?" Sakura asked as she stood in line in front of Syaoran.

"We're going to LA first. I need to check in with Yoritomo. You'll be coming with me as my niece, Fei. Got it?" Syoaran looked at Sakura who was completely unrecognizable. 

Sakura's soft golden brown hair was gone yet again. Now it was the color of a shocking hot pink with black streaks. Her short straight hair hung down to her chin and was expertly flipped out to reveal numerous silver pierces in her right and left ear. Black leather bracelets with silvery sharp spikes and black rubber bracelets adorned her wrists. A short black and red plaid skirt was around her waist with thick chains swooping down to where her thighs were and going back up to hook to the back of her skirt like suspenders. For a top, she was wearing a tight black cotton shirt with various rips held together by safety pins. A large British flag was across her chest. Her knee-high black leather army boots clunked heavily as she took a step forward as the line moved. 

"Fei? That's a pretty name." Sakura thoughtfully added. "So, I'm like 17, right?" Sakura asked as she looked at her painted-black nails.

"Yup." Syaoran replied. "I can't believe I'm related to you." He jabbed jokingly.

"Oh yes, it is terrible. Not to worry, within a week, I will be no longer." Sakura smiled. 

When it was Sakura and Syaoran's turn to check in their bags, the lady at the counter looked at Syaoran and smiled, but when her gaze fell on Sakura, the smile slightly faltered. Maybe it was Sakura's glittery hot pink lips. Nevertheless, the woman took a moment to check the tags on the bags and send them into the loading area. They thanked her and left.

They went up the escalator and were now neatly sitting in one of the many seats in the waiting area, Sakura in her little outfit and Syaoran in his usual faded jeans, a sports jacket, and a dark green shirt. Sakura had grabbed a magazine from one of the seats and was flipping through the pages without much interest.

"Is that a wig?" Syaoran asked, as he looked at her realistic looking hair.

"Like duh! I'd be dead, buried, then reincarnated before I dyed my hair this color." Sakura whispered back laughing and smiling.

"I'd always thought you're the wild unpredictable type." Syaoran flirted.

"Most days, hon, most days…" Sakura replied waving her hand around in a fluttery gesture.

"Right." Syaoran mumbled looking around at the other people who were sitting and engrossed in their magazines and newspapers. His observant thoughts broke away when he heard Sakura gasp. "What is it?"

"Oh my gosh! You won't believe this. The nerve of these damned people." Sakura flattened out the magazine she was reading. "Ok, I thought tabloids were low, but not THIS low. Look at this." Sakura pointed to an article in the _Texan Tidbits_. There was a picture of Josh obviously shot from a hidden angle. Sakura read the article out loud. "This unknown young man is widely known for his aid with the notorious Colombian terrorist, Fang, who a week ago took over a nuclear weapons headquarter in DC. The CIA may have plastered this mysterious figure as highly dangerous, but many women in the nation have deemed him as a sex symbol. With his dark spiky hair and exquisite sunglasses, the South American has deeply stirred the nation and its meaning of mysterious." Sakura laughed at the look Syaoran was giving the article. "Can you believe this? A _Sex Symbol_? My Lord, help these poor women.

"Wow… this completely shoves out any hope I had in the opposite sex." Syaoran stated incredulously. 

"I may be of the opposite sex, but I'm feelin' your pain." Sakura laughed as she was about to toss the article aside when Syaoran took the magazine from her.

"Listen to this." Syaoran's eyes scanned the article. "Although there are no pictures obtained of Fang's second accomplice, sources have stated that the female part of the terror trio was said to have stirred up the male population _internationally_. Not much is known of this woman but she is considered highly dangerous. If you go to simple auctioning sites such as Ebay, you will find a picture of this deadly assassin starting at $425." Syaoran ended and was laughing loudly, trying not to fall off his chair.

Sakura sat speechless with a disgusted face. "Is it possible to lose faith in the male race when you already had none to begin with?" Sakura asked hopefully. "This shows exactly how shallow and superficial our society really is." Sakura snorted.

"Yeah… but it's just so funny." Syaoran replied after sitting back up straight. 

"Let's talk about something else. How are you dealing with the whole kidnap crap?" Sakura's expression was now serious as she gazed at Syaoran.

"I'm just trying to not think about it too much. If I get too emotional, I won't be able to go through with the plan." Syaoran stated, his laughing face gone completely.

"I see…" Sakura fell silent. She could only imagine what he must be feeling inside. "I'm proud of you for being so strong about everything." Sakura put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah, well let's hope I can keep it up a little bit longer." Syaoran sighed and sat back in his seat, tossing the magazine into the empty seat next to him.

Regretting bringing up the subject, Sakura tried to lighten up the mood.

"Anyway, when we get on the plane, the first thing I'm doing is checking the bathrooms." Sakura grinned when she saw Syaoran give a tiny smile.

~~~~~~~~ 

The plane had landed in LA a couple of hours after boarding. Syaoran and Sakura were picked up from the airport by Syaoran's friend and co-worker, Tano. After greetings and introductions, Syaoran placed his and Sakura's suitcase into the trunk of Tano's Explorer. Sakura silently sat in the backseat waiting. The trunk door slammed shut.

"Are you sure she's your niece. She seems… a bit odd." Tano pointed out as he walked around to the driver's side.

"Yeah, well you could say she's the odd ball." Syaoran answered as he got in as well.

Tano started up the car and they were soon on the freeway.

"Does he understand Chinese?" Sakura asked in fluent Chinese to Syaoran.

"Didn't know you spoke Chinese." Syaoran stated amused. "And no, he doesn't. He's Caucasian, but has an Asian mother, thus his Japanese name." Syaoran answered back in the same tongue.

"I think he's gotten cuter since the last time I saw him." Sakura spoke again in Chinese, flashing a devilish look. 

Syaoran was about to say something when Tano cut in. "What's she saying? Is that Chinese?"

"Yeah, it is." Syaoran was contemplating whether to tell him what Sakura was saying. But just to have a little fun, he decided he would. "She said you were cute or something." 

Tano looked at Sakura through the rear view mirror in the center of the front window. Sakura smiled as he smiled at her.

"Didn't know younger girls would be checkin' me out." Tano laughed. "And judging by her silence, I bet she doesn't speak English. I thought they spoke English in Hong Kong."  


"They do, but she never learned." Syaoran answered.

Sakura quietly sat listening to the conversation. This was indeed interesting.

"Where are we going?" Sakura asked. (She'll be talking in Chinese for a while.)

"We're going to stay over at my place for tonight then we'll be meeting Yoritomo tomorrow to discuss some plans about how to get her out. I'm still trying to think up what to say to him. How am I going to explain that she's in New York? He'll ask how I know. What would I say, it was hunch? A rather large one?" Syaoran answered back with the language rolling off his tongue.

"Well, we'll think about it later." Sakura replied.

"What are you guys talking about now?" Tano asked looking at Syaoran.

"She asked me what we were going to do for the next couple of days."

"Hey, exactly why is she here anyway?" Tano asked wondering.

"Oh, well, her school's on break for a week and her parents thought it'd be a good experience for her to come and visit the States, you know." Syaoran causally answered.

"But aren't you going to talk about the Jessie case with Yoritomo?" 

"Yeah, I am. I have to. I'll just bring her along. Don't worry, she won't get in the way or anything. She's quite useful." Syaoran shot Sakura a look through the rear view window.

"Right then." Tano ended the conversation as he pulled up in front of Syaoran's house. "I'll see you tomorrow at the office. I'll call. Bye Syaoran." He turned to Sakura. "Bye Fei." After unloading their stuff, Tano drove off.

Syaoran and Sakura each took their luggage and rolled it to the front door where Syaoran opened the door with the keys from the pocket of his jeans. Sakura followed him in and looked around the familiar surrounding.

"Who would have thought I'd be back here?" Sakura breathed as she walked through the familiar halls and to the living room where she once had sat sprawled across the couch bored to death.

"It's a bit dusty. I haven't been here in a week or two myself." Syaoran commented as he looked at the thin layer of dust on top of everything. His eyes scanned the room and were now focused on Sakura who was, like before, sitting on the couch as if she had been spilled. "You never did sit in a couch without looking as if all life's been sucked out of you."

"Yes, yes, yes. I am a complete and utter pig. So shoot me will you?" Sakura spoke sarcastically as she waved her hand. Then she burst out laughing. "You know, any jokes having to do with dying and shooting just cracks me up for the wrong reasons. Do you hear the irony of it all?" 

Syaoran smiled. "You're strange…" He couldn't help chuckling.

"I'm going to go wash up. I'm assuming I get the same room as last time." Sakura jumped up from her seat. She jogged up the stairs and Syaoran heard the bathroom door slam shut. He proceeded to carry his and her bag up the stairs.

~~~~~~~~~ 

Sakura came out of the shower with a towel wrapped around her body. She made her way down the hall of the second floor and entered her room where her suitcase sat next to her queen size bed. Sakura opened her bag and quickly changed into a pair of cotton shorts and a tank top. She dried her pink and black hair and threw her towel onto a hanger that stood next to the dresser to dry. She tied up her short hair into a small ponytail and went out of her room to go downstairs where Syaoran would soon join her. He had gone into the showers right after she had and was currently taking a shower. 

Sakura ran her hands down the railing of the staircase as she slowly made her way down. When she reached the main floor, she noticed that Syaoran must have been cleaning and dusting while she had been taking a shower. The sparkling wooden floor showed her reflection as she stared down. 

After a few minutes of looking through the fridge and cupboards for food, Sakura heard Syaoran come downstairs and enter the kitchen. When she looked up from her concentrated search for food she saw Syaoran in sweat pants and a T-shirt. Months ago, the last time she was here, she remembered seeing him fresh out of the shower. Of course she had thought he looked attractive or cute or whatever. But now, the same feeling and more seemed to settle at the pit of her stomach. Snapping out of her thoughts, Sakura confronted him of the crisis at hand.

"I'm hungry and you're kitchen is empty as… well it's empty." Sakura stated annoyed.

Syaoran looked at her with amused eyes. He found himself thinking how cute she was when she was anooyed. But as soon as the thought came across him, a grim statement followed. He really did have to sort out his priorities and feelings before his desires got the best of him.

"We'll pick up stuff to eat tomorrow. Let's order in tonight." Syaroan suggested as he picked up the phone that hung charging on the kitchen wall. "Pizza or Chinese?"

"Irony, I'm telling you, irony." Sakura smiled. She chose Chinese.

~~~~~~~~~~ 

An hour later, the two sat on the floor in front of the TV eating out of carryout Chinese boxes with chopsticks. Sakura popped a Sweet and Sour Pork into her mouth. (I have no idea if that's the right name. I only know the actual name in Korean so…don't shoot me for getting food names wrong! ::ducks:: hehe…) The two sat silently eating for another minute when Sakura was trying to pick up a piece of pork. The piece flew off her chopsticks and smacked into Syaoran's face. Sakura looked up and burst out laughing.

"You… look… so… stupid!" Sakura shouted laughing and rolling on the ground.

"Do not!" Syaoran retorted back as he wiped the sauce from his face. He picked up a piece as well and smudged it onto Sakura's perfect cheek. Sakura gasp and stopped laughing. She glared, as it was Syaoran's turn to laugh.

"You jerk! At least mine was an accident." Sakura sat up and wiped the sauce off. She was about to say something else when she saw Syaoran's quiet expression. The atmosphere had completely changed from a warm one to an icy air.

"You know, Jessie used to come over and we'd do the same thing." Syaoran spoke cautiously.

"Oh…" Sakura was at a loss of words. Damn the feeling that was always inside her whenever Syaoran mentioned Jessie. "Well, this does make it official that you do love her. I've always thought you were denying yourself of what you really wanted, but guess I was wrong." Sakura slowly stated with a soft expression.

"No, but you're right. I am and I am foolish." Syaoran answered looking out the large glass doors that led to the patio. The sky had turned dark over the last couple of hours. "It's strange how for the second time for the past two days, you make me feel inferior. But I should be feeling like it. It seems like every chance I get, I almost succeed in cheating on my fiancée if it weren't for you to stop me. I feel like I'm going crazy." Syaoran gave an exasperated sigh.

Sakura was silent. Then she felt anger. "Do you think I _want_ to stop you? You think you're the only one that's going insane thinking about Jessie? Gee, I wonder how Sakura is? She wants to kiss you senseless yet she can't cause she's playing the devil turned angel and trying to be the good one and set things straight. And also, she's suffered through a fiancé who's cheated on her and she damn well remembers how that little walk in the park went. Yes, let's all get pissed off at the world and sigh while Sakura's life seems just dandy, no?" Sakura spat sarcastically as she heaved in a heavy breath and sighed. She looked at Syaoran and was shocked at what she had just said. "My God where'd that come from? Sorry, I don't think I'm feeling well. Priding myself on my ability to be ice queen and here I am, gibbering away." Sakura tried to laugh it off but she knew she couldn't. Even Syaoran knew she couldn't. Sakura stood up to just walk away when Syaoran grabbed her wrist. 

"Then don't stop me. I don't want to be so noble or faithful anymore. I'm so tired of just… everything." Syaoran frowned and looked at Sakura whose face had a look of melancholy. His right hand found its way to her smooth rosy cheek as he was now only inches away from her. 

Sakura felt his warm breath at her ear. Oh how many times they've been in this position. This time was no different except for the fact that she was so close to losing it. All those times she denied him would have been wasted in vain. So close to the edge, she could feel it in her heart and her mind was screaming.

__

Please let me…please…

Her mind seemed to shout over and over. For a second she almost did give in but her years of emotionless living was an asset she wanted to keep. It made her strong, it made her different, it made her… everything. 

Sakura met his gaze with hers. She lightly reached up and kissed the corner of his lips and pulled away before they could do anything.

"That's for something that could never have been and never will be." Sakura closed her eyes for a second then opened them again to reveal dark green eyes. She smiled sadly and walked away to go to bed. She wasn't sleepy but she was simply exhausted. As she walked up the stairs, she found herself doing something she hadn't done in a long time. Hot tears ran down her face.

SourPop1004: Don't hate me!!! Haha… well anyway, this chapter didn't have much action or anything of remote interest. I was going to end it earlier but I decided I needed to add in something, like a little kicker. Hehe… well, let's analyze this chapter, shall we?

I just want to say to those who are disappointed with the lack of action scenes. I'm so sorry, but you know me. I lead up to the big action packed chapters. So, please hang in there. The action/drama stuff is coming up in chapter 17. 

I was almost gonna make Sakura kiss Syaoran at the end, but I thought it'd be more… drama-ish and plus I wanted to build up the final blocks of tension. Nice metaphor, no? Anyway, not to worry you people. They are close. VERY CLOSE~! ^_~

Umm… I think the beginning of this chapter was a bit… jumpy, and quick, my apologies. That's why I stuck in a nice long one at the end. This chapter just felt so rushed and stuff, but I'm quite happy with the ending. Even though it is like… a sad one. 

Ok, I know to some of you, this chapter felt a bit too… happy you could say. Even with all the crap and stuff the characters are going through, I wanted to be more humane and give them at least a little bit of happiness. People can't be sad and mopey ALL THE TIME. You know? Hehe…

As for the side characters, Tano and Jessie will reappear and actually be in the plot line. But as for Touya, I have no clue. He might just be floating around somewhere being the supportive big bro, so don't expect him to do much. But you never know, even I surprise myself sometimes. Hehe…

I think that's it for now. So I'll catch you guys next chapter. Review lots and lots. Love y'all! Ja~

PS. YOU MAY CRITISIZE ME FOR BEING MEAN AND GIVING A FRUSTRATING ENDING BUT REMEMBER! I AM A FAITHFUL S+S FAN!!! Ok? Hehe… ^ ^


	16. Simple

SourPop1004: Wassup ppl! Chapter 16 here, enjoy. I think you'll like it…

The Salsa Dancer

By: Who else?

"Don't worry Miss Parker, this'll just be another dinner party." Fang spoke with his velvety voice.

Jessie sat tied into a beautifully made redwood chair. She quietly sat. There was no trace of a struggle anywhere. 

"What exactly do you want with me?" Jessie questioned with a blank face.

"Your fiancé will come for you, thus, _she_ will follow." Fang answered with a smile.

The two were in a large spacious hotel room in New York. The furnishings were exquisite and everything seemed to glitter. The large sliding glass doors behind them revealed an excellent view of New York City and its skyscrapers. Fang sat in front of Jessie and was holding a glass of whiskey. (I honestly don't know what alcohol and evil terrorists have in common…) As he swirled the contents around, the ice clinked. Jessie's sharp eyes darted to the noise and tried to keep cool with her surroundings.

"You have a straight face, yet you are scared." Fang spoke slowly taking a sip of his drink.

"Yes, I believe so. Excellent observation." Jessie replied coolly.

"You know it's strange, under these circumstances, you sound very much like Cereza." Fang's eyes watched the body in front of him with intent concentration. 

"You mean Kinomoto." Jessie's voice was even, but inside, an unknown venom seemed to seep from her heart.

"Yes. Indeed. Well, it must be terrible to know that your love is slowly being taken away." He held his cold drink in both hands and savored the feeling of whiskey running down his throat.

"What do you mean?" Jessie's dark eyes narrowed.

"Honestly, I know you're smarter than that. It seems like Cereza's becoming more of a challenge, no? I guess it was always like that for every man she managed to cross paths with. As dangerous a weapon she may be with her agility, skills, and wit, her physical features always did play quite the part. I wouldn't be surprised if your fiancé's already had a go with her." Fang's eyes flickered with amusement. This was turning out to be an interesting conversation.

Jessie tried to look away. Deep inside, she knew the statement was all so true. 

"I seemed to have hit your weak spot." Fang put down his glass on the glass coffee table in front of him and got up to walk closer to Jessie. He stood in front of her and looked down at her. He took her chin and lifted it towards him to show her face. "Yes… well love is entirely its own death game." Fang stated before Jessie snapped her head to the side to look away. Fang just laughed and walked out of the room. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sakura was already up the next day. She sat on her bed quietly thinking to herself.

__

This whole thing's a mess. Fang… to give myself in or not… damn… well this will be the last fight… I'll make sure of it.

Sakura's grim face was a blinding white because the morning sun showered the room with light. The large glass sliding windows in her room her open and the sun was clearly visible. The light white curtains in the guestroom fluttered lightly in the occasional breeze. 

Having had enough of being lost in her own endless mind, Sakura jumped off the bed and decided to go downstairs and get some coffee. Since she was playing the rebellious teen role for the moment, how she dressed really didn't matter. Put on anything and everything, and she was ready. Her pink and black hair was tied back in a tiny ponytail. Her numerous ear rings were clearly visible in the light along with the rest of her outfit: a pair of tight low-rise jeans, which showed her midsection, with faded rips and tattered holes, a black leather belt with silver studs, and a tight black shirt with the words 'Rebel' across the chest. (_~)

Sakura went out of her room and went down the stairs. When she got to the kitchen, Syaoran was already in there dressed in a clean crisp suit making coffee. Syaoran turned around to see Sakura leaning against the marble top or the sink. The two were trying to ignore anything that had happened the previous night, no matter how hard it would be.

"Coffee?" Sakura asked in a bored tone.

"Yup. Making it right now." Syaoran put in the coffee grind and turned on the machine. "About today. All we're gonna do is go to headquarters. I need to talk to Yoritomo and discuss plans. You'll be quiet, as it seems that you can't speak English. And if he asks why I'm taking you along when I go to New York, I'll make up something." Syaoran finished turning to the gurgling coffee maker.

"Right. You get to discuss the 'plan' while I just shut up and situate my little rebellious ass in a chair. What a fun day this is going to be." Sakura sarcastically clapped her hands with fake joy.

Syaoran was quiet for a few seconds before he spoke again. "Where the hell do you find your clothes anyway?"

Sakura smiled and raised an eyebrow. "A rebel never reveals her fashion secrets for it's rule number two to being a rebel."

"And what would rule one be?" Syaoran smiled.

"Hate everything around you and scowl a lot." Sakura watched Syaoran give a light laugh. Maybe last night wouldn't affect things _too_ much.

"Right. Well, here's some coffee." Syaroan poured some steaming coffee into a ceramic mug and handed it to Sakura as he soon poured some coffee into his own mug.

~~~~~~~~~~~ 

It had been months since she had entered the CIA building, but she still knew every corner, every staircase, every guard stationed at each point. She had to memorize every little detail about the building when she was there earlier to steal some files. 

As Sakura and Syaoran went though the front entrance, Syaoran greeted the two women up at the front desk. The two women smiled their best smile but did a double take when they saw Sakura. Ignoring every single person in the room, she and Syaoran made their way to the elevators.

Syaoran pressed the up arrow and waited. When the metal doors slid open, they saw Tano inside holding an armful of folders. He smiled and greeted them.

"Hey. Perfect timing. I'm just heading down to base." Tano stated.

"Need some help?" Syaoran offered as he got in first and took some of the files that were on the verge of spilling onto the floor.

"Thanks." Tano answered. His eyes fell on Sakura as he just noticed her stepping into the elevator. "Is she allowed to come down with us?"

"I'm sure she'll be fine. She won't do anything so nothing to worry." Syaoran tried to reason.

"I know Syaoran, but Yoritomo might not agree. So why don't you take these folders and go down to base. I'll take Fei up to your room or something since Yoritomo isn't really interested in talking to me at this moment." Tano suggested. 

Syaoran gave Sakura a look before she agreed. "All right. Here, I'll take those." Syaoran took the rest of the folders into his arms and watched Syaoran and Tano step off the elevator. "I'll talk to you later." Syaoran answered towards Sakura in Chinese. Sakura nodded and the metal doors slid shut.

While Syaoran went down to base, Sakura followed Tano to the elevator next to the one they were just on. The two got in and were soon on their way to Syaoran's office.

~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sitting in his own room, Josh idly looked around his room. Expensive furniture, expensive mini bar, expensive curtains, pretty much expensive everything. He cringed at the thought. He was living the expensive life with its benefits and its costs. These days, his mind was occupied by only one thought. The upcoming dinner party, where he would see her again. 

~~~~~~~~~~ 

Tano had left about fifteen minutes earlier. Sakura sat sprawled on a large leather couch in Syaoran's office staring out the large window with the view of the city. She looked up at the ceiling and let out a breath of boredom.

__

Boring! Very, very, very boring! There has to be something to do around here…

Sakura's thoughts wandered around aimlessly everywhere until she came across something that would put an end to her boring time in the office.

__

Syaoran said he'd talk to me later. Never said I couldn't leave this damn office.

A smirk graced her lips as she jumped up from her seat and left the freakishly clean office.

Outside the office, people were casually talking and working in their own cubicles. She wandered around looking for something interesting to do. She passed the mailroom, and some empty meeting rooms until she reached the copy room.

__

Ooh…

Sakura slipped into the empty room and looked around at all the copy machines. She rubbed her hands together and gave a malicious smile. She slid towards a machine and turned it on. 

__

Hmm… shall we take some beautiful pictures?

Sakura stuck in her hand under the flap and pressed 'Start'. The blinding strip of light ran across the glass and a black and white picture of her hand popped from the side.

__

Indeed… very beautiful…

~~~~~~~~~~~ 

When Syaoran got to his office after an hour to check up on Sakura, she was no where to be seen. Syaoran held in a groan and swiftly left the office. Halfway down the hall with a scowl on his face, he ran into Sakura. She had a stack of papers in her arm, a lollipop in her mouth, and her jean pockets were stuffed. Syaoran hissed and dragged her into his office and shut the glass door.

"Where were you? And what's all this?" Syaoran glared at Sakura who just smiled and skipped to sit down in the leather chair.

"Well…I wah jush…" Sakura put down her stack of papers on her lap and pulled out the candy from her mouth. She remembered she was supposed to speak Chinese and mentally kicked herself. "Well, I was really bored, so I went around looking for something to do. I took pictures of myself. I think I really mastered the art of copy-machining. And this lollipop, it's really good by the way, I took it from this guy's desk. He wasn't there so whatever. And as for my full pockets…" Sakura emptied her pockets. "Did you know that the stock room has really nice post-it notes? They have like every freaking color. Your office needed more color anyway. It's too… color coordinated." Sakura spoke in Chinese and popped the candy back in her mouth.

Syaoran leaned over and took the stack of papers. Every time he flipped through the pages, another part of Sakura's body part would appear. Near the second half of the stack, there were pictures of Sakura making funny faces with her head pressed onto the glass panel in the copy machine. He gave her a look before pushing the subject entirely out the door.

"Anyway, while you were… whatever you call it, I was down at base talking with Yoritomo. So far, all they have is the list of men invited and the knowledge of the party. The only problem is they don't know where. I couldn't exactly tell them since I have no backup story to support my theory. Any suggestions?" Syaoran stated in the same tongue.

"Hmm… I don't know. I could just turn myself in and they can take info from me." (They're speaking Chinese. You know that.)

"I know. That is a possibility but they might not even believe you." Syaoran took a seat across form Sakura and fell into deep thought.

"Yeah… I guess they would do that…" Sakura thought out loud as she stuck the candy back in her mouth.

Syaoran glanced over at Sakura who was eating her candy and groaned. "Will you take that thing out of your mouth? It's distracting!" He sounded irritated.

"Jeez… no need to get grumpy." Sakura took the sucker out and threw it into the nearest trashcan. "Anyway, I don't know how else we can approach this. We could just go to NY and just do the job ourselves. We've been playing games without the CIA for the past week or so. We can do it for a bit longer." 

Syaoran slowly nodded. "I know we can, it's just what am I gonna tell Yoritomo. I'm out of stories. And I'm sure Fang's got the place heavily guarded. We might need back up."

"I know, but having too many men might just mess up the equation. Let's think simple." Sakura answered.

"I guess we could take Eriol with us and Touya." 

Sakura paused when she heard Eriol's name. Was this the time to tell Syaoran about the little issue? She figured now was better then later when Eriol ends up double-crossing them. She decided she would but her gut feeling picked up something else as well. Why hadn't Syaoran suggested Tomoyo go with them? Brushing the thought aside, she pursued her main thought about Eriol.

"Err… Syaoran. How well can you trust Eriol?" Sakura asked looking at him.

Syaoran looked up at her with quizzical eyes. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is… Eriol's not exactly on my 'Most Trustworthy' list." Sakura began. "He's been lying to us. Tomoyo first came to me with a suspicion that Eriol was helping us for another motive. When he said that Nade was in Washington, he was lying. She's in Moscow. Why is she in Moscow? I don't know." Sakura tried to look for any signs of betrayal on Syaoran's face. There was silence.

"She's in Moscow because I sent her there." Syaoran concluded with a sigh. Sakura looked at him with her eyebrows raised. "I didn't want to say anything to you cause well… I don't know. Never got the chance to. Anyway, she's there cause she had a Russian contact that had a deal with Fang. You might have heard of him, but I sent her anyway just to dig up some info. You're probably wondering why since we know basically everything of Fang's plans. Well, she's offering him double whatever Fang's gonna give him from the profit he makes from the black market share in exchange for some document files from Fang and his deals…" Syaoran was going to continue but Sakura was catching on and cut in.

"And Andamian Drashka (It's read draw-sh-ka) wouldn't squeal cause he has more to gain than lose. Smart. And with those files on the proposition Fang handed out to international dealers, we can have definite proof to sentence Fang to jail." Sakura finished. "Again, very smart. But the one thing I would like to know is _why_ Eriol lied about where Nade was." Sakura questioned.

"Because… he didn't want Tomoyo to find out where Nade really was." Syaoran answered.

"What? Why?" Sakura was confused.

"Because, our operation as of this moment was supposed to be completely uninformed to the CIA. When Tomoyo and Eriol were flying to Texas from the beach house, you and I came back here to acquire the disc. But while you were doing your thing, I was trying to do my normal thing and check in with any recent files. Guess what I found? Tomoyo had been touching base with head quarters ever since we started on this little rendezvous. Yoritomo knows so far that Tomoyo's currently _tailing a case that could be involved with Fang._ Isn't that just dandy? At least she kept things vague enough for Yoritomo to just let her go without question. Our names weren't printed on the info file, but the last time she was in contact with Yoritomo was two days ago. I don't know how she's been in contact. Eriol tried to figure it out by surveillance all around the house, but they picked up nothing." 

Sakura was shocked. What a little nasty turn this was all taking. She tried to sort everything out in her mind. Everything she thought was so, was so the opposite.

"What does this mean? She's bad?" Sakura asked with anger.

"No. All I'm saying is you can't tell her everything. I'm afraid it's gonna leak out back here and we have this whole big mess. You said it yourself. Simple. And with her and the whole CIA chasing us around… that's not simple, at all." Syaoran answered quietly.

Sakura couldn't find the words to say. She struggled for a second but recovered. "Fine. Then we're leaving her behind. Call Eriol. I want Tomoyo out of this mission as soon as possible." Sakura's voice was cold and emotionless. Sakura got up and looked down at Syaoran. "We're close to end of this mission. I'm not letting her jeopardize our only chance. I'm going to the bathroom." Sakura stated curtly and walked towards the door to the office. Syaoran just let out a breath of sigh and leaned back into the cushy sofa. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

The women's restroom was empty. Sakura stared into the large mirror over the marble sink. She slammed her fists down in frustration and closed her eyes.

__

Damn… too many wild cards. Why didn't Tomoyo tell me? Ugh…

Sakura opened her eyes and looked straight into the mirror and tried to search for something the image staring back could give. But she quickly turned around when she heard the bathroom door swing open and three women walk in. They were chatting away animatedly. Sakura just gave a weak smile and proceeded to wash her hands. She silently ran her hand under the cool water as she perked up an ear to listen if the three women had anything interesting to say.

"…anyway, like I was saying. That whole Jessie kidnap is just so sad! And this whole situation is just so sad too." A lady with short red hair stated as she stood next to Sakura and was applying her lipstick.

"I know! It's so terrible." A woman with long brown hair piped in as she checked her hair in the mirror.

"Well, yeah, but I know one thing that's not so 'terrible'." The last person to speak had long dark hair and a familiar pair of gray eyes. (Refer back to chapter 5. It's that beeeeep that told Sakura off about the lunch sitting thing.) The other two women looked into the mirror with questioning eyes. "Syaoran Li's open for the moment. Yes, he is engaged, but dear old Jessie isn't here."

Sakura didn't have the best feelings for Jessie, but the way this bitch was talking, Sakura couldn't help but feel defensive.

"That's true…He is hot…" The woman with red hair closed her lipstick tube and smiled.

Sakura was done washing her hands by now and was wiping her hands dry with the paper towel. When she threw the scrunched up paper away, she glanced around the room with keen eyes. No cameras, no nothing. It was about time she got her stress out. Sakura was lingering around the sink and pretending o adjust her hair and such. The woman with dark hair looked at Sakura with a glare.

"Stop doing your hair. It's not going to change its hideous color." She smirked when the other two laughed.

Sakura turned around and looked at her with confused eyes.

"Hey, that's Syaoran's cousin or something." The woman with brown hair looked at Sakura's face. "I heard from Tano that Syaoran had his cousin over for a week or something."

"How come she's not talking?" The woman with dark hair asked in a rude tone.

"She's from Hong Kong. She can't speak. That's what I heard." The brunette replied. 

"Oh. I see. We better be nice around her. She might be the key to hookin' me up with him." The dark-haired woman laughed.

__

As if… Sakura thought.

The woman smiled kindly and the three were soon leaving. When the brunette and the redhead were out the door, Sakura tapped the dark-haired woman on the shoulder. She swung around and smiled.

"Hmm…?" She asked.

"If you think Syaoran's gonna go out with a bitch like you, HA! You have a whole nother thing comin'." Sakura stated in perfect English. It was her turn to smirk. The woman was about to shoot back but before she knew it, Sakura's fist came flying through the air and landed perfectly on the woman's left cheek. The lady crumpled to the floor and tears were pooling at the corners of gray eyes. "Pay back." Sakura simply stated and walked out of the bathroom.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

__

Ok… that made my day… anyway, about Tomoyo. I still trust her, but not where this mission's concerned. 

Sakura walked back to Syaoran's office and pushed open the door and entered. Syaoran wasn't there. Sakura just sighed and flopped down once more onto the couch. She figured he had gone back to base to talk to Yoritomo once more.

__

Bored already…

Within minutes Sakura jumped back up and paced around the room trying to find something to occupy herself. 

__

I don't think Syaoran would appreciate anymore pictures of me… hmm… this is so BORING! God help me!

She felt like her brain was going to explode from the lack of action. She was a person of movement, speed, anything!

~~~~~~~~~~ 

Syaoran sat in a chair that was one of many. In the meeting room, Yoritomo was standing up at the head of the long conference table talking. 

"As we have discussed earlier, we have a acquired the list of men invited to the party that will be the dealing point in Fang's black market plans. The only problem is 'where'? We could go with hunches, but we have no solid foundation in which we could even just stand on. A small group has tried to track down a few of the guests, but to no success, they have kept their tracks clean. But we do have one agent out on trail of something that could lead us to the answer. That information is still vague but we will inform you if any new advances occur." There were murmurs around the table. "The need for us to find the location of this party is vital in stopping whatever plans Fang has in store and the extraction of one of our agents." 

Syaoran sat there with a frown. She was contemplating whether to reveal what he knew or not. He decided to speak before he made up his mind. He would just have to see where it would lead. Syaoran cleared his throat and everyone who was bustling turned to look at him. He stood up to speak.

"If you were to not question my sources, I know where the party's taking place." The room soon filled with grunts and chatter before dying out again. "If you promise me to question me after this mission has been completed, I will tell you." Syaoran spoke.

There was silence around the table. 

"Tell us. Where?" Yoritomo asked. 

"Before I do, you have to agree to my terms." Syaoran replied in a clear firm tone.

Yoritomo looked a bit skeptical. "And what would they be?"

"No questioning whatsoever in anything I decide. I want to lead the infiltration. And a favor."

"Those are quite demanding terms. What would this 'favor' be?" Yoritomo crossed his arms and stared at Syaoran.

"That I will request later. But for now, agree and I'll be more than happy to comply with my information. You know, I do want this mission completed as well as the extraction." Syaroan's face was serious.

Yoritomo thought for a second then agreed. "Fine. Where?"

"New York." Syaoran stated plainly. "I'm assuming that we start gathering a small team." Syaroan commented as he watched Yoritomo try to refrain from questioning. 

"With those terms, I believe mine should be made as well. Here is mine. If you're wrong in anyway, it's your job Agent Li." Yoritomo's voice was cold and sharp. Syaoran simply nodded.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sakura stared at the computer screen. When she heard someone enter the room, she looked up from her game of solitaire on Syaoran's computer. Syaoran walked in with a placid face.

"Let's go home. We'll be leaving for New York soon." Syaoran shortly stated and left the office. Sakura got out of Syaoran's desk chair and tried to catch up with him.

SourPop1004: Hola! I won't say much except a few things. Actually, I have lots of things to cover with y'all. So please read this:

This chapter was quite a bore but you did get some questions answered. So, don't be too disappointed (if you are) that there was no action in this chapter. I would say a bit of humor here and there, but the chapter obviously ended on a more serious note.

I don't usually say anything about the next chapter specifically, but I think I owe you guys something for making this and the last chapter kinda…mono. Well anyway, next chapter, you might not catch some major butt-kicking action but I think you'll fairly enjoy it. They will be going to New York next chapter. (I need to assemble a crew for Syaoran.) Let's see, what else? Oh yeah, as the story draws to its near end, things will solve out as we go, so don't worry about the stuff that's still in the air hanging. Umm… as for the 'fairly enjoyable' next chapter, there will be humor. I find myself trying to lighten up the chapters a bit cause it already sucks enough they have to face off a terrorist and all. So yeah…

Nextly, the S+S. That is like the top thing in everyone's priority. (Almost.) Anyway, I have indeed picked a chapter where the S+S will be finalized and the tension will be released. But I'm not gonna tell you which chapter. For all you people know, it may be the last chapter or the next, or the middle. So, happy guessings. ^ ^ (I'm mean, I know.)

The next important couple issue. T+E. Umm… I have a general idea how they'll turn out at the end so not to worry. And aren't you guys glad I explained about Eriol and Nade this chapter? Hehe…

Oh, that brings me to the next point. I already told you Touya's kind of a 'floater'. Just there for now and stuff. Anyway, about Nade. She will be appearing again in the ending chapters, so don't forget about her.

The Jessie + Syaoran issue. It will be solved. So don't freak out you peoples. =)

The Josh issue. (There's seems to be a lot of issues in my story. Haha…) As for him, I have no clue how to do this. I want to think of something unexpected and stuff. I want to outdo myself, if possible. So, he'll be there mourning and confused for now. Just until I figure out what to do anyway.

Hmm…I know there' s more stuff to discuss. Oh well, that's it for now. Wait! The most important info of all: The story's gonna end at chapter 20. BUT there's a high chance that the story will go on OVER 20 chapters. It's not a set thing when this story will end but I'm aiming towards 20. Anyway, after this chapter, you guys might have to wait a bit longer for an update cause chapter 17 and above are all much longer than my usual amount. So, sorry you might have to wait, but you'll have more to read. Thanks for sticking with TSD this far and remember to review. Love y'all. 

  
Ja ne.


	17. Grace Lang

SourPop1004: This is one of those rare occasions that I actually write an a/n at the top. Cause I usually say I'll see you at the bottom. Anyway, just wanted to get the basic a/n out of the way from the top here.

Person who said my a/n's are too long. Well, don't worry. I'm not offended or anything, but I just thought you guys would like to know what's going on and stuff. I mean, if you want to be left in the dark, be my guest. The element of surprise is good.

The Salsa Dancer

By: Moody Me!

The streets of New York City were dark and damp. Cold water ran down sides of tall run down buildings and dripped from rusting fire escapes. The sky was dark from night and clearly showed of remains of rain. The sidewalk was empty just like the road. Dark muddy water splashed up every time a car passed by and some stayed smeared across them. The bright street lamps poured down a hazy white light to the streets bellow. The shadowed buildings stood tall above the city.

Sakura stood in her balcony high above the cold surroundings. The sharp icy wind flew by attacking anything in its way. The feeling of icicles piercing her bare shoulders and arms crept over her smooth skin. The balcony she stood in was wet from the recent rain. Clear drops ran down the metal railing bordering the small balcony on the fiftieth floor of the Merduce Hotel; a massive elegant structure in the middle of New York City. Sakura slowly looked down at herself and saw a thin white dress soaked and fluttering freely in the wind. Her feet were bare and standing in the cold cement. She fingered her long auburn hair and found it wet. She smoothed back the bangs that were plastered against her forehead and looked to the dark starless sky with her arms open wide as if expecting to fly away. Little drops of rain started to fall on her bright face. Her emerald eyes sparkled but soon morphed into dark lakes. The color in her cheeks drained when she found the rain that was drenching her once more turned red, blood red. Blood ran down her face and stained her dress scarlet. Terror leapt in her heart but she didn't seem to care. When she turned away from the city and looked towards the glass door that led to her room, a silvery metal glittered as it glided through the air. It pierced her heart and threw her back a few steps. Her hair flew wildly as she stumbled back and fell over the railing. Before she plunged down towards the streets, she saw someone emerge from the shadows with a gun. The last image Sakura's deep green eyes saw before the heavens was herself, standing with a pained face, holding the gun that had ended her life. 

Sakura bolted up from her sleep. Her eyes wide and gasping for air. The room seemed to lack its supply of oxygen. She clutched her heart and tried to calm herself. When her breathing evened, she looked around her surroundings to find that she was in Syaoran's guestroom. Sakura wiped the cold sweat that had trickled down to her eyes. This meant the peak of events was drawing near. She never dreamed, let alone such a prophetically clear one, when everything was ok. She knew something was coming her way even though it sickened her. It wasn't like her to get worked up about anything, but things were getting tense as the days passed. 

__

Is that how my life will end?

Sakura couldn't help but wonder. Feeling her throat dry, she got up and decided to get something to drink. She pondered if she'd bump into Syaoran like last time since they seemed to be doing a lot of that lately. Brushing the thought away, she hopped off the bed and went out the door.

After getting a drink of water, she made her way up the stairs and was about to go back into her room when she looked to one of the doors next to her room. There was a crack of open space in the doorway so she decided to look if Syaoran was sleeping or not. Wondering, she peeked in.

Syaoran sat in a single couch next to his bed. The lights were out and the large clear window showed of the neighborhood and the dark navy-black sky. He had his head resting back with his eyes closed. Sakura watched his chest rise and fall from his meditative breathing. She figured he was thinking about the rescue mission and what not. Sakura jumped a bit when she heard him speak to her.

"You can stand there if you'd like or you can come in." His words were low and even.

Sakura opened the door and stepped into the doorway, leaning against the frame. She watched Syaoran open his eyes and look at her, then lean back again. His amber eyes seemed to pierce her.

"I know what you're thinking about." Sakura stated trying to read Syaroan's face.

"Do you?" He sounded blank and emotionless. "I'm sure you do." He paused before continuing. "You know, I find myself saying this many times. The lives we chose, sometimes, actually many times, I feel it was the wrong one. Have you ever wondered what life would be like if we hadn't chosen to do the things we do?"

"I couldn't exactly choose whether my father died or not." Sakura answered in bitter thought.

"I know. But if fate had taken a different course, haven't you ever wondered? What if?" Syaoran asked again.

"Yes. Sadly enough, I have wondered many times. And it's strange. I've never even come close to thinking such things until I met you. You questioned everything I was trained to do. You questioned every motive I held. You questioned my life." Sakura paused. "And I'm glad you did. Because if you didn't, I'd be screwed." Sakura laughed lightly. She watched Syaoran sit still.

Syaoran was quiet for a moment then spoke again. "Let's just come back in one piece. I have a feeling New York's gonna bring lot of things." 

Sakura nodded. She turned to leave. "Good night, Syaoran." Sakura went out the door. Syaoran just sat there and let out a heavy sigh.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

The next morning, their bags were packed and neatly sitting on the floor next to the door. Syaoran was dressed in his regular jeans, a dark green T-shirt, and a jeans jacket. He had a stern face as he was talking into his cell phone. Dressed in the similar sort, low-rise jeans, army-green shirt with the word 'Killer' across the chest, Adidas, and her many earrings, Sakura just watched him as she sat on a large suitcase. The two of them were waiting for Tano to come pick them up. Syaoran had his team assembled within a day since the team consisted of only eight more people. Tano and two other agents were coming to their house, while Eriol and Touya were meeting them in New York. The last five CIA agents were coming in on different flights and times so it didn't look suspicious. 

As Sakura looked through their plan, her thoughts came to Tomoyo. What would happen to her? And Tomoyo already knew of New York since she had told them in the car two days ago. She figured Syaoran told that bit of info before Tomoyo reached Yoritomo. Sakura looked up when Syaoran held out the phone to her.

"It's Tomoyo. I'm assuming you know what you're going to talk about." He asked. "Also, there's a flight arranged for her to return to LA."

Sakura took the phone. "Tomoyo?" 

"Sakura? Is everything ok there? I heard you're going to New York with-" Tomoyo was cut off by Sakura.

"Yes, I am. And you're not coming with us. There's a flight for you to LA. You'll be staying at base." Sakura's voice was desperately trying not to sound too bitter.

"But why? I want to help you guys."

"Tomoyo, you know well why. I can't believe you've been contacting Yoritomo behind our backs. And as for the Eriol issue, throw it out the window. It's not what you think." 

"I know. I'm sorry, but I didn't know what to do. I mean, I have obligations. I have a job." Tomoyo tried to defend herself but she knew it wasn't right.

"Well, so do we. And if you can't respect what we're doing, then I don't see the point in you staying longer. It doesn't matter now since you'll be coming to LA." Sakura's tone was turning icier by the minute.

"I'm sorry. When I made that mistake of calling…it was stupid. I know. It was." Tomoyo's voice was failing her.

Sakura expression softened a bit. "I know. It's ok. We make mistakes. But as of this mission, you're out. Just stay in LA and we'll send you word. OK? Good bye, Tomoyo." Sakura slapped the phone shut. She looked up at Syaoran and handed it back. He only nodded in approval and pocketed the phone.

~~~~~~~~~~ 

It was the third time that week they were on a plane. Sakura looked out the small window without much interest. She was back to playing her little games since she 'couldn't speak English'. Sakura attention turned to Tano who was sitting next to Syaoran, who was sitting next to her. The other two agents were an aisle and seven seats away.

"Did you hear what happened yesterday? Some people found Ren in the bathroom with a huge bruise on her face." Tano stated animatedly. (I don't think I ever named the woman, so I'll just call her Ren. But if I did give her a name, please tell me. Thank you. Hehe…)

Sakura figured it was the woman she had punched. She smiled at the thought. When Sakura glanced at Syaoran, he caught her smile and gave her a look that accused her of doing something. Sakura just looked back with innocent eyes.

"That's strange." Syaoran answered, still eyeing Sakura who was back to looking out the window. Her numerous studs and loops in her ear flashed in the bright light that poured through the square window.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Surprisingly, and thankfully, New York City wasn't too dreary like her dream. It was night when the plane landed but the city was lit with streetlights and high skyscrapers. 

Sakura, Syaoran, Tano, and the other two men were staying over at a cheap motel downtown called The Sunrise, so they wouldn't seem too suspicious as much. Eriol, Touya, and the remaining five men would be coming in the next day, all at scattered times.

Being the only woman, Sakura got her own room while the rest were paired off and sharing rooms. Sakura sat on her bed, which creaked and made ugly noses every time she moved. The room was small. It was covered in stained, yellowed wallpapers with matching curtains that needed serious cleaning. She couldn't believe the lack of taste the owners had. As she looked on around the room, she found a single lamp, which was on as of this moment, and a patio chair and table set. A small doorway to a small bathroom was off to the side. Her eyes were done scanning the dull distasteful room, but she ended up looking down at the bed with a frown. She'd definitely be sleeping in a chair tonight. She didn't have an ounce of curiosity as to what exactly were on the sheets. Sakura hopped up off the bed and walked over to the small window with the curtains. The view outside was decent. It showed the city and the tall skyscrapers in the distance. They were for sure off towards the more 'less elegant' part of the city. She had noticed on the drive here that the buildings seemed to get dirtier and more run-down as the cab approached this end of the city. Maybe it was her constant habit of always get the best room in the best hotels that made her nose wrinkle at the mere thought of places such as these. She did not know, and didn't want to know. 

Breaking from her thoughts, Sakura looked towards the door when there was a knock. She went to the door and opened the old wooden trash of a door. Syaoran stepped in.

"What is it?" Sakura asked in Chinese. She had to keep up with the charade for now.

"If you want to change, you know, back to yourself, you can." Syaoran stated.

"How? Wait, I forgot to ask you yesterday, how'd you get a team assembled and get the info across to Yoritomo without him sending the whole department over?" Sakura questioned as she shut the door and turned to face him.

He was quiet for a little bit. "Let's just say if I screw up, I don't have a job." 

"You gave up your job?!" Sakura looked incredulous. 

"Not technically, but I was threatened to lose my job if this mission failed. I kinda demanded a lot of things at the meeting yesterday. I think I pissed Yoritomo off. Who knows." Syaoran shrugged as she looked around the room.

"And what were those 'demands'?" Sakura had her arms crossed in front of her chest and gave him a look.

"The main one being that no one would question my decisions and things." Syoaran answered with a bored look on his face. "So you're free to reveal yourself, I guess you could say. You'll have to let everyone know what's going on tomorrow anyway. I have things to explain to Tano and the other agents."

"I see. Well, good, I don't have to stick with this wig any longer." Sakura pointed to her head.

"How can you take a shower with a wig on?" Syaoran asked amazed. (Thank you to Natalie who pointed that out on a review. You asked me about it. I didn't even realize. Haha…)

"It has a thin plastic-rubber scalp with tiny holes. It feels like real hair cause it fits so perfectly." Sakura replied. 

Silence took hold of the room. Sakura just looked at the floor while Syaoran looked off towards the window. Syaoran coughed a bit.

"I think I should get going."

"Yeah…"

"Oh yeah." Syaoran checked his watch. "It's 9:15 right now. Come to my room at 9:45. We're having a meeting to go over what's going to happen."

"Ok." Sakura opened the door for Syaoran, who walked out. "I'll see you then." She quietly shut the door. 

Sakura walked over to her two suitcases and opened one. She took out various hair-care products and went over to the bathroom to get started on her hair.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

It was 9:43 when she finished cleaning her hair. Her hair was back to its original state. The long wavy golden brown hair fell down her back. She ran her fingers through the wet hair smiling. She had taken her wig off and had taken a shower to thoroughly clean her hair. She had also taken out the earrings that had decorated her ears and erased the black nail polish from her fingers. Sakura checked her watch and decided to go over to Syaoran's room. 

"Syaoran, I know we're not to question you, but I don't know why the hell you brought your cousin along. Isn't that a bit risky?" A man named Jon asked as the other man and Tano nodded too. 

Just then the door opened and Sakura walked in. She had heard part of the conversation when she was at the doorway.

"Risky wouldn't be the word I'd choose. Cause if I didn't come, let's face it, you'd all be running amuck as if your heads were chopped off." Sakura spoke in English. It felt good to speak freely. "Sorry to burst your egos, but the CIA knows squat." Sakura shut the door behind her and looked around the room. Tano sat on the bed while the other two were sitting in chairs. Syaoran was leaning against an old dresser. Seeing no place to sit, Sakura just sat down on top of Syaoran's suitcase. The room looked dumb-found. 

"Syaoran, who is this?" Jon asked.

"That'd be Kinomoto Sakura." He replied.

The three were about to burst out with disapproval when Sakura interrupted. 

"I know. Ex-terrorists aren't fun to play with. But as of right now, you're just going to have to. Lets just leave it that I had issues. So get over it." Sakura smiled brightly at the men.

Syaoran spoke up. "That's Tano over there, you know that." Syaoran pointed to a man with light brown hair. "That's Agent Jon White." He then pointed to the man next to Jon, a well-built man with light blonde hair. "And that's Agent Chris Graw."

"Hello there, I'm sure you know me." Sakura crossed her right leg over her left and neatly folded her hands on top and sat politely.

"Ok, enough with intros. This is the plan so far." Syaoran began. "We know who's invited and that it's here. But the only problems we face right now is: Where specifically and how to get in?"

"I don't know exactly where the party's being held but I know that it's a family thing. I know…inviting your family along to deal black market stuff…queer. Anyhow, the families won't do anything, they'll just think it's a party to enjoy. And the only reason Fang bothers with the family is if the dealings don't go as planned, he can use his persuasive personality to convince them. In other words, black mail." Sakura stated. "Well, the only way to find out where the party is and to get in is through an invitation." She finished.

"How do you know all this? Unless you're still working for Fang." Chris pointed out suspiciously.

"Ok, last time I'm going to say this. Let's leave it as I had issues ok. If I were to still be working for Fang, wouldn't it be a smarter move to convince Syaoran here to bring the whole department, so Fang can wipe them out all at once? Anyway, I'm not, so get over it." Sakura answered irritated.

"Well, the party's going to take place in two weeks so we have till then to get an invitation. And I have thought of a way." Syaoran walked over to a briefcase next to a suitcase. He opened it and pulled out a folder. He opened it and brought out a picture of a boy around 17 or 18. His eyes were blue as the sky and his blonde hair was spiked up. He had an arrogant smirk on his pretty face. "This is Thomas Brinksby. Currently a senior at John F. Kennedy High. His father, Jeremy Brinksby is owner of a shipping port in Switzerland and New York. He also owns the company Brinksby Co., which exports and imports international cargo. I'm pretty sure his son will be attending the party."

"You're suggesting what I think you are, aren't you?" Sakura asked with a frown.

"Yeah. I have a list of all the girls he went out. Basically, look pretty and you're in." Syaoran answered smiling.

"Ugh… every stinking time. I swear…" Sakura grumbled.

"Yeah… well, you start school tomorrow morning there at 7:15. Your alias will be Grace Lang, daughter of Ming-tai Lang, who happens to own a huge shipping port in various parts of the world. You have two weeks." Syaoran finished.

"Right." Sakura just sighed. The next fourteen days were going to be… interesting. Who would have thought she'd be trying to seduce a seventeen-year-old? Talk about being pedophilic. (17 and 24. Would that be considered pedophilic as in legal terms?)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

The gray sun rose over the city. The clock next to Sakura flashed 6:00 A.M. It was way too early, but having to go to school, she had no choice. She lazily got out off the plastic chair she had slept in and sauntered to the bathroom. She tried to stretch her back in an attempt to crack them. Hearing a satisfying crack, she stretched down to touch her toes. Feeling a bit more refreshed, Sakura decided to take a shower.

Ten minutes later, Sakura stepped out of the shower and tightly wrapped a bathrobe she had brought around herself and put on her slippers. She dragged her feet out of her room and to the room next to hers, which were Syaoran and Tano's. She knocked on the door and waited with her hands on her hips. After the fourth time of knocking impatiently, Syaoran opened the door. He rubbed his eyes and ran his hand through his messy brown hair. He blinked a couple of times trying to focus on Sakura. Before he could ask what was up, she pushed through him and went into the room. She plopped down onto a plastic chair. Tano was just waking from the noise. His dirty blonde hair was ruffled and he was wearing only his boxers and a T-shirt. When he realized Sakura was in the room, he jumped up to grab his pants but Sakura just smiled.

"It's ok. No need to freak. I'm just here to ask something." Sakura turned to Syaoran who was wearing a T-shirt and forest green pajama pants. "Ok, what am I playing here. Ditsy? Sophisticated? Brainy? Nerd? Punker? Gangster?" Sakura waved her hand around in an airy gesture.

"I wouldn't say ditzy, but every girl he seems to pick up seem to be." Syaoran went back to his cot and sat down as it creaked.

"Fine. I'll just roll with the crowd." Sakura got up to leave but stopped. "Oh yeah, am I gonna get some wheels to go with this alias or do I get a limo with a hot driver?" Sakura asked with mock-smile.

"Oh yeah…" Syaoran blinked. "I forgot. Umm… take a cab. I brought some money. One more thing, I'll come pick you up after school. So don't leave." Syaoran answered with his eyes daring to shut on him.

"Ok. Whatever. See ya people." Sakura left the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sakura stepped out of the cab she had taken. The weather was crisp. She had watched the buildings pass by as the cab drove on. She liked New York City, but not that much. She paid the driver and the yellow car left to drone on with the rest of traffic. Sakura stood in front of John F. Kennedy High and stared through the front gate as kids milled through for another day of school.

Taking off her Gucci sunglasses and putting them away in her beige Coach back. She checked herself for the last time in her pocket mirror from her bag. Her lips were a perfect shade of pink. Her cheeks were rosy and her emerald eyes sparkled brightly. Her hair was down in a flowing cascade. She was wearing a silvery silk Calvin Klein quarter-sleeve designer shirt with a pair of faded Hollister jeans, which hugged her tightly and exposed a bit of her toned midsection. She shut the mirror in satisfaction and took a step towards the school in her Steve Madden sandals. (My usual. Haha… dude, the Calvin Klein shirt has LOTS of adjs. Haha…)

Sakura found that there was a small opening in the center of the school and the classrooms surrounded the courtyard. The gym and field were off to the right side of the school. Sakura went to the office to get her schedule first. Syaoran had told her last night that he had Eriol mess around with the computer systems in the school so that it randomly chose Sakura into Thomas's classes. Sakura talked a bit with the secretary and smiled a lot, flashing her brilliant white teeth. She thanked them and left the office to find her room. The homeroom bell already rang but it didn't matter since the office gave her a note.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sakura opened the door and entered her homeroom, Mr. Gesh. The room was loud and people were throwing airplanes around when she came in. Her eyes quickly scanned the room and found where the 'rich, popular' kids sat. Luckily, there was seat open. The teacher silenced the class to introduce Sakura.

"Settle down kids. We have a new student at this school. I hope you guys all can lend a helping hand and show her what a joy it is to attend John F. Kennedy High. This is Grace Lang." Mr. Gesh smiled and applauded as the rest of the students. There were catcalls, many actually, and some glaring from the girl population. Mr. Gesh looked around to find where to put Sakura. He looked at the empty seat in the back where Thomas and some people were sitting. "There, Miss Lang. Have a seat behind Thomas." He pointed and Sakura thanked him. She walked down the row of desks towards her seat. Guys stared and looked up at her. She just glanced at them briefly then kept on walking.

When she reached her seat, she sat down. She plopped her expensive bag carelessly on the desk and looked out the window with a bored expression. A red-haired girl in front of her turned around and looked at the bag.

"Like oh my gosh! This is so the purse I wanted!" The girl ogled at the bag.

"Hmm?" Sakura turned to the girl in front of her.

"That's the brand new one! That is such an adorable bag!" She beamed. Her hair was flipped out and her lips were a glassy red. "Hi there. I'm Mindy Richards." She waved and smiled brightly. 

"Hi." Sakura drawled without much taste. "I'm Grace Lang." She was contemplating whether to sound snobby or not. What the heck? She wasn't going to see them ever again. "And yes, this is the latest bag from the Coach fall line." The girl was about to say something when the teacher told her to quiet down.

Another girl that was sitting next to Sakura spoke up. Her hair was light blonde and it came with an attitude.

"Don't talk to her that way. When Mr. Gesh placed you here to sit with us, it was a big mistake. He obviously doesn't see that someone like you doesn't fit with people like us. Some expensive bag isn't going to get you anywhere." The girl sneered. "The name's Lacey Griffith. I don't know where you're from but just remember my name. You'll be hearing it, idling it, and worshipping it, so get used to it." The girl's light blue eyes flickered dangerously. She was obviously the bitchy queen of them all. Oh high school was a bundle of joy.

"Well Lacey, as you've heard. The name's Grace Lang. You'll be hearing more of me soon enough. And as for this bag, I don't only have the bag to get me anywhere, I got the whole outfit." Sakura snapped. She turned away from the girl and returned to looking out the window. By now, the whole ditsy thing was completely shoved out the door. This meant war. And the only way to win was to match fire with fire.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Her next three classes rolled by without much-event. She still didn't get to talk to Thomas but she tried to find a common ground to speak on. He was, as of this moment, considered way above her social stature, but she was breaking ground. She had won over many of the girls including Mindy and three others who seemed a bit air-headed. Lacey was another issue. Sakura knew Lacey was not a conquest to win over. She didn't need Lacey. She just needed to move onto the guys now, seeing that she had dominated over the majority of the popular group. 

Lunchtime came and she had made two more friends, Jack and Drew, both shamelessly handsome jocks on the football team. Mindy, Linda, and the other girl, Tracey led Sakura over to where they usually sat during lunch. Mindy smiled and introduced Sakura to the rest of the gang and Sakura just dished out cocky smiles after another. After everyone sat down and were talking about this and that, Lacey came along. She was waving at everyone and smiling but it soon flipped when she saw Sakura sitting between Mindy and Jack.

"Lacey Griffith. Nice to see you again." Sakura's lips drew out a slow deadly smile. The way she said the other girl's name was natural and even toned, but Lacey didn't like it. She knew Sakura was mocking her.

Lacey glared with fire. "Yes, Lang. I do believe we had the _pleasure_ of meeting earlier." She took a seat next Tracey who was across from Sakura. 

The table full of kids eating and chatting were all laughing and talking about random things when a tall, slim but well-toned boy walked their way. Sakura figured it was Thomas since the boy seemed to be dressed so well with a nice watch, nice shoes, nicely faded jeans, nicely highlighted hair, etc. He was definitely fine for sure. He gave a nice white smile at the table then his gaze fell on Sakura.

"Hey. Aren't you in my homeroom?" He asked as he took a seat on the long bench as kids scooted over.

__

Only your homeroom? Oooh, I see how this is gonna be. We've got a tough customer… well unlucky for you boy, I've seen too many men play this card.

"Yeah I think so. Not sure though." Sakura replied. "I'm Grace Lang." Sakura smiled.

"Thomas Brinksby." He replied and returned the smile. He was sensing this girl was already playing hard to get. 

Soon the group started talking again and Sakura found that she was quite amused by the topic discussions of the group. High school was indeed a murderous game: the gossips, the rumors, the back stabbing, and the conniving. Especially in this type of crowd.

The whole lunch, Sakura and Thomas glanced at each other like timid little kids. He gave her a smirk while Sakura just threw one back. All the while Lacey threw glares. 

__

So the game's begun…

Sakura thought to herself with a satisfied look in her eyes. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Her last class of the day was PE. She found that the course for this quarter was track and field. The girls had all changed into their gym clothes and were already down on the track when the boys showed up, Thomas being one of them. 

Sakura was wearing a pair of navy blue shorts and a white T-shirt with the letters JFK High on the back in navy blue letters, and her long hair was up in a ponytail high on top of her head. She turned her attention to the teacher who was bellowing out instructions.

"Ok. Today, we'll be doing a continuation of yesterday. You'll split back into half and continue the one-lap races. At the end of class, we'll have one boy and girl to race together. OK? Split up into boys and girls." The teacher shouted as kids mingled around to finally split into boys and girls.

Sakura looked around to see Mindy and the rest unfamiliar faces. She then saw Lacey come down the bleachers towards the group. She handed the teacher a note and came to stand with the girls.

"Lang." She simply spoke.

"Griffith." Sakura answered back with the same distaste. 

"Just wanted to let you know ahead, I look forward to beating you. If you haven't heard, I'm the fastest runner at John F. Well, for the girls anyway." She stated proudly.

"We'll see, Griffith." Sakura just smiled and watched groups of five go to their starting positions to race.

Sakura, Lacey, and three other girls were the last to go. By now, the boys had finished their races and were watching the girls'. Mindy was cheering for Lacey and Sakura. Sakura figured Mindy was on the cheerleading team. The five girls took their places on the starting blocks and waited for the teacher to say go. 

"On your marks. Get set. GO!" The teacher shouted and started the stopwatches.

Sakura sprang forward with great reflexes. Just from the start, Sakura was ahead a few steps. She had to admit though that Lacey was good. She wasn't far behind on the start. Sakura started to run slowly. But that was good enough to beat the other three, but she soon saw Lacey sprint up from the corner of her eyes.

__

Not bad… not bad at all.

Sakura, not wanting to even give her a chance, sped up. Living a life where she was constantly dodging bullets and running blocks at a time really did do wonders for her physique. Sakura decided to run a well-paced race and kept at a constant speed. The finish line was nearing and Sakura could see at a glance that Lacey was about a little less than a quarter of the way behind. Sakura glided across the finish line and people cheered loudly. They all clapped and awed at how fast she had run. Sakura simply smiled and walked over to where Mindy was. Her breathing wasn't uneven and heavy like most people after a run. Over the years, she had learned to control her breathing and running such a small race wasn't considered something breathing heavily about.

"Lang! You should go out for the school track team." The teacher beamed as he made his way over to Sakura with a stopwatch.

"Running races against pitiful contestants isn't exactly my idea or a good time." Sakura answered sarcastically. The teacher was about to say something back when Lacey came through the finished line with a red face. Her eyes were ablaze with anger. Sakura walked over to Lacey who was trying to keep her breathing down to show that she wasn't tired at all.

"How does second place feel?" Sakura whispered with a rude smile. Lacey was going to blow over the top when the teacher cleared her throat.

"Ok. Seeing the times listed here, the best time was Grace Lang and… Thomas Brinksby. Come on you two. Get to the starting blocks." 

Sakura gave one last look at Lacey and walked over to the starting point. Thomas was next to her adjusting his blocks. Sakura finished adjusting hers and was getting set. Without looking over at Thomas, Sakura spoke.

"Just cause you're a pretty boy doesn't mean I'll go easy on ya." Sakura stated with a cocky grin.

"Don't worry. I won't let you." He answered back flirtatiously. 

The teacher shouted go and the two jumped out of their blocks. Sakura started off a bit faster but Thomas was a good runner. A very good one at that. Sakura set herself at the speed she had run when racing Lacey, but that proved to be a failing speed. Thomas was a couple of steps ahead of her. Sakura was trying to decide whether to beat him or not. She was pondering which approach would have the best result. She decided to just lose by a split second. Thomas ran through the finish line being followed by less than a second. He took deep breaths that were even and controlled as he turned around to meet Sakura.

"Nice race. Never had a girl that close behind." He stated smiling.

"Yes, well, maybe I should take some pointers from you." Sakura smiled back. "But I still think you are a pretty boy." Sakura added mischievously. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sakura had just taken a shower after gym and was now neatly dressed in her clothes waiting for Syaoran. She was in front of the gates where students were filing out either on bikes, on foot, or in cars. Lacey and Mindy walked up to her.

"So. Waiting for you daddy to pick you up? Where's your car?" Lacey taunted menacingly.

"I'm having someone pick me up in _my_ car." Sakura replied.

__

Syaoran, I swear, if you bring a jacked up car, I will so kill you. Sakura thought.

Just then, there was a honk. A silver BMW convertible pulled up in front of them in the driveway in front of the school. Syaoran was in the driver's seat wearing jeans and the whole works looking incredibly attractive. (Muahaha…) Mindy looked at Syaoran.

"Whoa! Who's that?" Mindy asked not being able to take her eyes off him.

"That'd be my father's friend's son. He's visiting us from LA." Sakura answered briskly. "Well, I'll see you guys tomorrow." Sakura added before walking towards Syaoran.

Syaoran smiled and said hi.

"Jake, get out of my car." Sakura demanded playfully. Syaoran gave her a look before getting out and moving to the passenger's seat. Sakura got in and floored the pedal. The car accelerated with such speed that when she swerved out of the driveway, the car screeched.

"Jeez! Take it easy!" Syaoran stated buckling his seatbelt.

"Hey, I'm a bratty 17 year old. I have to drive like this." Sakura answered smiling.

Syaoran laughed. "So, how was ditsy Grace today?"

"Well, I didn't exactly go with that image. I went with the new-bitchy-rich-kid-slash-temptress-trying-to-overthrow-the-bitchy-queen-and-seduce-everything-that-crosses-her-path attitude. That about sums up my day. Be mean, be arrogant, be bratty, blah blah. How was your day?" Sakura asked yielding with the traffic. New York City traffic was a total killer.

"Slept, woke up, did some research on the people involved with Fang, and that was basically it. Oh yeah, and I got this car. Nice don't you think?" Syaoran looked around the packed street.

"Well, it is nice. But I personally would have gone with a candy apple red car." 

"So, who were those two standing with you?"

"That'd be Lacey Griffith, the blonde, and the red-head would be Mindy Richards. Lacey's the evil queen of them all. We didn't exactly get off to a nice start. Anyway, that Mindy girl's not that bad. A little ditsy here and there, but who's perfect? I met some other people too along with Brinksby. I personally don't go for younger guys but he _is_ hot. Not a bad runner either." Sakura commented thoughtfully. 

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Just keep your head straight please." Syaoran yawned.

"So what are we doing today?" Sakura asked excitedly.

"Don't you have homework or something?" Syaoran asked.

"What?! Ugh… I didn't think I actually HAD TO do the damn thing." Sakura shouted out in exasperation. 

Syaoran laughed as he gave her a sideways glance. "That reminds me. How the heck did you get through school without a backpack?"

Sakura thought for a second before replying. "I have no clue. I actually don't even remember the lessons and stuff since I was so busy trying to put on an act and attract the stupid kids. Thus, no homework. Not as far as I'm concerned anyway." Sakura happily replied.

"You're grades are going to suffer if you don't keep up in school." Syaoran scolded in a playfully serious tone.

"I swear… you're such a grandpa!" Sakura slapped his arm

The traffic slowly moved inch by inch. Sakura just sat there in her convertible with Syaoran, talking as if there was nothing wrong with the world. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Coming back to a shabby motel after acting arrogant and too rich for everyone seemed a bit ironic to Sakura. Syaoran and Sakura had parked the car in a public parking building since they couldn't have the car in the motel parking lot. When they got back, they found that three more agents had arrived in various disguises. Sakura was quickly introduced to them and vise versus. Sakura could tell they all looked at her disapprovingly cause of the double-cross, but it didn't matter. She'd be making it up to them.

SourPop1004: Hei there! Ok, that was just the start of my 'longer' chapters. Actually, this chapter was about half times more than my usual chapters. Anyway, I want to deeply apologize for my very late update. But just keep in mind, from now on, my chapters will be longer and will be posted more than two weeks at a time. It's cause of school and everything. Just so much stuff to do. Ack… anyhow, I'm so sorry people and I just want to thank those for sticking by me. We only have 3 more chapters to go. I want to make them the best I can. So, thanks for hanging in there with me for three chapters of blank and only drama. Remember to review! I'll see you guys in a couple of weeks at chapter 18.

Ja ne.


	18. Just Getting Started

SourPop1004: Hey ppl! It's been a while since I've written a chapter for TSD. Sheesh, I'm so busy these days. School's taken over my life. Oh well. Hmm…I would just end this story but I want to give it the best possible ending so sorry for those who waited so long and stuff. Haha… well, enjoy chapter 18. Only 2 away from the finale.

PS. Alias started again. All right!!!

The Salsa Dancer

By: Waaaaaaaaaaaay Belated Me

The radio was blasting out its song at the loudest volume when Sakura swerved into the parking lot of her school. She had sped into the last open parking space, receiving some very impolite gestures from the car she had cut off. 

__

Acting like a bitch really does influence your driving …

Sakura ignored the driver and turned off the engine of her BMW. She grabbed her purse and got out. The car locked with a bleep as she walked towards the entrance for another day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

The days had swirled by along with the cold New York wind. The skies had grown gray and lifeless and the occasional rain graced the city. Eriol had arrived with Touya on the second day of Sakura's undercover mission. They had been introduced to the rest of the team and they were soon wrapped up in their own missions, gathering and researching any information they could find on the men attending the dinner party. The men were still treating Sakura with displeasure but she figured it was an improvement that they didn't sneer every time she came into the room.

Sakura sat in her little hotel room with a bored expression while the men were working and discussing next door. She had gotten home from school an hour ago. Sitting on her bed thinking deeply, she broke her thoughts away and glanced at the clock on the old nightstand. It was almost 5. That day, Thomas had invited her along with all his friends to come over to his house around 7. Apparently, his parents weren't home and he had the house all to himself. Sakura mused at the thought of a party, an actual party. Not the boring dinner dress-up parties she had gone a countless amount of times. A smile crept at her lips as she imagined 17 year-olds drinking and doing everything they _thought _was wrong. Instantly, the bitter realization that these kids were innocent struck her hard. No matter how twisted and rich these kids were, they would never have to experience murder, torture, deception, and a colorless life; living each day not knowing what to think, to see, or that they'd even be alive to do any of the sort.

It was one of those occasions where you sat for eternity, just letting your mind wander. Sakura stared lifelessly as if in hopes of seeing oxygen molecules drift by. It was in that manner she let an hour pass by before she decided to get ready.

__

The dinner party's in 3 days… and all this will soon end…forever…I'll make sure of it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

It was 7:30 when she finished getting ready. Looking over herself for the last time, Sakura approved of herself: nicely faded and ripped jeans, a dark green halter top which revealed a lot more than it covered, and a pair of Adidas. She was about to reach for the door when there was a knock. (ain't that a classic Sakura Look? Haha..)

"Yeah?" Sakura asked as she opened the door to find Syaoran.

"You were supposed to be at the party 30 minutes ago!" Syaoran stated looking distracted.

Sakura just laughed and shook her head. "Men. You have absolutely no idea in playing the game right."

"Arriving late isn't part of _any_ game." Syaoran snapped irritated.

"It's called arriving _fashionably_ _late_." Sakura corrected as she shut the door. "You wanna go get some coffee before I go?" 

"Party?" Syaroan asked following her towards the parking lot.

"I've decided to arrive around… 8:10ish. It's a good time to arrive. Come on. I'm dying for some Starbucks coffee." Sakura grabbed Syaoran's arm and left the building.

~~~~~~~~~~ 

Syaoran took his steaming cup of coffee and sat down across from Sakura, who was sipping hers. He slowly drank a bit of his drink and looked at Sakura. He cringed.

"What?" Sakura asked putting down her cup.

"Can't you wear something else for God's sake?" Syaoran's faced smoothed and smiled.

"What? Don't tell me you don't like it?" Sakura replied mockingly.

"That shirt does more to show than cover." He answered leaning back into his seat.

"Hmm… thought you'd appreciate it." Sakura smirked at Syaoran before taking up her drink again. "Now enough of this. The party's in 3 days. Tell me anything you guys found out."

Sitting up from his lazy posture, Syaoran spoke. "Well, we got some info on what properties each men hold that Fang wants. The Brinksbys have a port in South America. Specifically in Colombia. Largest port for shipping drugs. And we have some tedious info about the others not much of value. The only thing that matters now is that you get into that party. So tell me how that's going?"

Sakura took a drink and put down the cup. "Well, not much actually. I'm hoping to get asked tonight. I've been building the tension, I guess you could say." Sakura checked her watch, it was 8. "But one thing. Once we get in, all you and your men will focus on is getting Jessie out. The rest is not your concern, long as the job gets done." Sakura's tone had turned icy cold and a deadly look was in her eyes. Sakura got up with her cup. "I'm gonna go."

Syaoran got up. "Do I take the car back home? Or are you giving me a ride back?" Syaoran was picking up his cup when Sakura was half way out the door. 

"You're walking home, hon!" Sakura shouted as she got into her car. Syaoran looked out the large glass window and saw a silver BMW drive off. He could only let out a sigh.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

She had pulled up in front of a very large private property. The gates had let her through and she was on the long circular driveway. She glanced up at the large white house. It was clean and neatly trimmed. Judging by the windows, she figured there must have been at least 20 rooms. She turned back her sight to the driveway and saw that a numerous amount of expensive cars had already been parked and loud music was booming out of the house. The huge front doors were wide open with people running in and out. The skies were dark. Night had fallen quickly. She parked her car in any available space and got out. She took up her Starbucks cup and walked towards the door. 

When she entered, she saw that the entrance/hall way of the large mansion was extremely large and didn't know where to go, but she soon learned to follow the laughter and commotion coming from the back of the house. She took a sip of her coffee and made her way through the house, constantly being passed by running girls and boys with bottles of beer. (Ok, this is so The OC moment. Haha… anyone watch that crazy awesome show? ^_^) One girl with long black raven hair ran by knocking her shoulder into Sakura. Sakura swiveled around and looked out after the girl who had disappeared as quickly as she had appeared. 

"Jeez!" Sakura mumbled as she desperately tried to recover before spilling her coffee. _Kids these days are so damn rude…_

"Spill any?" A voice came from behind her. Sakura turned around and saw Thomas giving her a cocky look. Sakura realized she had ended up in the kitchen and Thomas was leaning on the huge marble kitchen top. 

"No, I'm good." She replied.

"Kinda late." He commented getting off the top and walking towards the fridge. 

"Yeah. Well I was out grabbin' some coffee with a friend." Sakura answered cooly, taking another sip. _The world doesn't revolve around you pretty boy…_

"Beer?" He asked taking out a bottle.

"Sure." She walked towards him and took the bottle, unscrewing the top.

"Come on. Let's go into the back yard. Everyone's out there." Thomas motioned for Sakura to follow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

When she and Thomas entered the tremendous back yard, kids were laughing, talking, swimming, drinking, and eating. The patio floor and the grass were littered with bottles and tortilla chips. (Can't believe I said tortilla. That's gotta be a first. I don't think anyone ever said tortilla in a fanfic. Haha… YAY! TORTILLA TORTILLA!! Muahhaha…I'm a true rebel. _)

Sakura found an empty seat next to a glass table. She looked to her right and found a couple making out quite expressively. She turned back in disgust and took a swig of her bottle.

__

This is gonna be a looooong night…

Seeing Sakura sitting helplessly, Thomas walked over after disappearing for a while.

"Bored?"

Sakura looked up. "Oh, no. Not bored, but just…" Sakura looked at the couple and many others making out. "…distracted." She smiled.

Thomas took her hand and gently let her up from her seat. "I know you just sat down but let's go somewhere private and… _talk._" He suggested with an irresistible look in his eyes.

Sakura got up and followed him back into the house. The noise and chatter of the mass mob faded as the two walked further and further away from the back yard. 

~~~~~~~~~ 

The two were upstairs in Thomas's specious room. It was clean, neat, and perfect to the last tuck of the bed sheet. Sakura gracefully sat down on the bed and felt around the blanket with her hands. (Ok, ok, children. This ain't rated R so don't get too excited. Some stuff here and there but nothing R. ^_~ I mean, we gotta save some for Syaoran right? Haha…) The silver silk felt cold and hot at the same time under her fingertips. She looked up and found him standing in front of her. He leaned down and kissed her cheek, trailing down to her neck. 

__

Aww…crap. Syaoran SO owes me…

Sakura wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down onto the bed. She realized her halter was gone and she was only in her bra before feeling Thomas's hands around the waist of her jeans. Sakura's hand slowly stopped his from unbuttoning them. She looked up at his eyes.

"I don't think that's appropriate. Now is it?" She whispered in a breathy hush.

"It's not." He smirked. "But are you sure you want to stop?"

Sakura laughed. _You have got to be kidding me! hahahaha… _"Mmm…I don't know. Well, you don't want to show me so fast how weak you are in your will." She trailed a finger down the side of his face and down the rest of his body. She slowly got up from under him and sat down leaned against the grand bedpost at the head of the bed. She drew him in close to her face so their noses were touching. "I think you can wait, can't you? I hate boys who take it too fast…" She kissed him passionately before pulling away. "I'm gonna get going now love." She fell free from him and got off the bed. She grabbed the halter-top that had fallen on the floor and was almost out the door when Thomas called for her.

"You free on Saturday? Three days from now?" He was sitting on his bed looking at her through the dark, his shirt gone. (My oh my… 17 year olds have gone insane. Haha…)

"Maybe…" She replied slyly as she leaned on the doorframe looking back at the boy's outline.

"There's a dinner party. My dad's invited and the rest of his family. And I need a date. What do you say?"

"Hmm…"

"…And maybe something afterwards." He smiled.

"I'll be sure to wear something nice." She smirked.

"I'll pick you up at 7."

Sakura thought for a moment. "How bout I just find myself a ride here by 7. It'd be a lot easier. My house isn't exactly… peaceful right now."

"Family probs?" 

"Guess you could say that." Sakura answered. _Family problems? If that's what you call my step dad trying to dominate the black market and me trying to kill him…_

"Ok. Here by 7." He watched Sakura throw him a confident look and leave the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

The night air was cold and chilling yet refreshing. Sakura drove through the empty streets of New York deep in thought. Traffic had cleared and she glanced at the clock in her car. The bright orange light flashed 2:11 A.M. 

__

Lord… I was there for a while…

Sakura took a left at the intersection and was on her way to the motel. The streetlights flashed on and off and every hundred feet she drove, anger seem to rage in her. It rose and rose up to a point where she was doing 85 on a 45mph street. Feeling stupid she let the gas pedal go and drove on at a slower pace. Her silver BMW had reached its destination but she found that the car had a mind of its own. It kept on driving and driving until she had no idea where she was going.

It was only an hour later when she found herself sitting on the dark cold grass deep within Central Park. The wind was blowing in thin wispy strings and the night, actually morning sky was dark and gray. She felt a comfort in the cool grass as she stretched out and lay there. Staring up at the sky with blank eyes, not knowing what to think anymore, she began to cry.

~~~~~~~~~~ 

Syaoran lay in his bed with his eyes open wide. It was three something in the morning and Sakura still wasn't back. What the hell was taking her so long? He couldn't… wouldn't imagine what she and Thomas Brinksby were doing. He shut his eyes and reminded himself.

__

She's not yours. She never was. She never will be. She made that perfectly clear…

~~~~~~~~~~~ 

It had been long since her tears ran dry. The stars looked bright and lonely in the dark. Sakura gathered her arms together behind her head to cushion it. She looked up and let her head open up.

__

You know, Syaoran, I think I'm the funniest person ever. Here I am, lying in the middle of Central Park, in the middle of the night… just talking to an imaginary you. I can't believe I'm practically killing myself to save someone I honestly don't want to. Yes… that's right. I don't like Jessie. Never did, never will. Well you must be laughing now. 'Look at Kinomoto… confessing on and on about this and that. Trying to save the world and look tough. Yet she can't even get her own feelings straight.'

It's not even a possibility that I'll even say this to you. I think I'm drunk. It's either that or else I've really lost it. Maybe I got smacked one too many times… nevertheless, I'll go through with it. I will help you save her and someday you'll have a family. And… maybe I can come over for tea… and play with the kids…

Sakura was slowly falling asleep when she heard a twig snap. All her senses ran back into her skin and she bolted up, looking wildly around her surroundings. 

"Who's there?" Sakura's voice fell over a hush. It was then she saw a homeless man picking up cans and the sun rising. Sakura got up from her spot and walked back to her car. 

Sakura shut her eyes and frowned at the honking noise. It was 5:45 in the morning and traffic was killer. She had just slept at a park, and her head was throbbing painfully. People trying to get to work had crammed the streets and were honking madly. Sakura mumbled under her breath until the cars started to move. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sakura realized she had to bust her rear in gear to get ready for school. Looking like she had just slept at the park was not an option. Sakura sped to her motel room. She shoved her hand in her pocket and fished out her key. The cool metal was on its way into the hole when the door swung open. Sakura looked up to find Syaoran standing there with an unpleasant face.

"Where were you all night?" He sounded calm yet angry, soft yet forceful. 

"That really doesn't matter. My head is in major pain so please move and let me get ready to go to school." Sakura answered agitated. 

Syaoran moved out of the way and his eyes narrowed to follow her form around the room. "You weren't with that kid all night were you?"

Sakura was in the bathroom brushing her teeth. She took the toothbrush out of her mouth and slowly turned towards Syaoran.

"First off," Sakura began. "Shut the door." She watched Syaoran push the door shut and his gaze was straight, not faltering even for a moment. "Second of all, why does it matter? Third of all, it doesn't. Forth of all, am I sensing _jealousy_ in the room?" Sakura put her toothbrush back into her mouth and continued in its cleaning ritual. 

Syaoran was silent of a minute. "The only way this could possibly matter is whether you got invited or not." Syaoran's tone was cold and quite clean cut.

Sakura's smug attitude fell away. Cold Syaoran wasn't fun to play with. But then again, she was Cold Sakura, ready to mess with anyone as far as she pleased. Sakura finished brushing her teeth and washing her face. She came out of the bathroom and walked over to where Syaoran was. Walking straight up to his face, she stopped inches from his face. 

"What do _you_ think?" That was all that was said and he understood.

"Good. I was getting worried that you might be losing your touch there." He replied with a straight face.

Sakura looked into his eyes hard for second then smirked.

"Losing _my _touch? I don't think so hon." Sakura turned away and went for the suitcase to find something to wear. She pulled out a dark blue sweater and a pair of jeans. She examined the sweater before throwing it and the jeans onto the bed. She turned to look at Syaoran. "Are you going to stand there the whole time cause I don't mind having an audience."

"Maybe I will." He replied simply. There was a pause. "But I have some things to check out with the guys. Happy changings." With that Syaoran left the room.

"Right…" Sakura trailed off getting ready.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Three days did not come soon enough, yet they did. It was the big night. The team that had come with Syaoran was getting ready for the extraction. Their sole mission was to get Jessie out and that was it. Anything that would follow after that, it was up to Sakura to figure out. 

It was the last two days that Sakura realized what the whole scenario was turning out to look like. If she was being forced to do this, it'd be like throwing her into a lion's den and leaving her as a diversion to reach the goal. In a sense, it would be using her to do the dirty work while they sat back and watched. But just the fact that it wasn't against her will, she mused. As much as she was doing this to try and pay back at least a small bit of what she had taken from the CIA, it was personal. The rage and burning desire to kill a certain man drove her insane at times. How she kept her composure was a mystery to her, but she was able to. Many times, people say, write before they died, their whole lives flashed before their eyes. Her own life had been flashing through her eyes since the day her father was killed. Back when she had told Josh that breaking into the vault would be their greatest and last mission, she had been wrong. What she would be driven to do tonight, she considered it to be the most important thing she'd ever do in her life. Anger would feed her heart. Revenge would fuel her strength. Sakura Kinomoto would kill.

Sakura looked at the clock on the nightstand. It was fast approaching 7. She looked at herself in the mirror. Her long wavy golden hair was down. Half of it was clipped up with a diamond pin. Her long black dress sparkled and glittered in the dim motel room light. She checked that her black sandals were comfortably strapped at the ankles. The dress she was wearing was an off-the-shoulder black spaghetti strap. Tiny glittery crystals were scattered across her dress. The bottom of the dress began from her right knee and diagonally waved down towards her left ankle, almost dragging. Just bellow the shimmery black fabric was thin see-through black chiffon coming just bellow her right knee and following the diagonal curves of the dress. The neckline was simple and clean. She chose this particular since it was simple, elegant, and easy to maneuver in. She pondered if she should wear some jewelry. Going through her suitcase, she found a diamond bracelet.

__

Guess this'll do…

Sakura looked at the mirror again. Her lips here glossy from her lip gloss. Make-up was never her style. A little gloss on the lips was enough. Her green eyes were clear and mesmerizing, but soon enough, they'd turn bloody dark. Confirming that her appearance was on check, Sakura left the motel room to skip over to Syaoran's room where everyone would be. 

~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sakura entered and everyone stared for a second before returning to what they were talking about. Sakura saw suitcases of sniper guns, handguns, smoke cans, and etc. Sakura went over to one of the suitcases and picked out a small black handgun. She drew back her dress and strapped it around her left thigh. They were looking at her.

"What? I'm not going in there without a gun while you boys have a tea party." Sakura sarcastically stated smirking.

It probably puzzled them that someone could joke around and be at such a confident state as her. To break the awkward gazes, Eriol interrupted. 

"Syaoran, do we even have a plan to do this?" 

Everyone looked up curiously as him.

"Nope." That's all he said.

"Ok, ok. Plan, plan." Sakura interrupted. "I go in, I'll get Jessie out and you guys go home. And getting Jessie won't be hard. I know Fang will let her go once he sees me."

"You've got to be kidding! No one's going home!" One of the men shot back in outrage.

"Then what do want me to do?" Sakura asked getting irritated. There was a pause. "Wait. You guys want Fang _alive_, don't you?" Sakura's face pinked. "Just wonderful! I thought I was going in there and it was gonna go down like this. It's either him or me!" Sakura's anger was rising. She took deep breaths. 

"We can't just kill him. Along with him, we can bring down lots of bad men out there. This is the U.S. We don't just kill people." Syaoran shot back.

"Yeah, yeah… that's what y'all keep telling me…" Sakura answered. "But I'm not CIA. So that rule or whatever doesn't apply to me." 

"But you're working _for_ the CIA. Same thing."

"You and your damn policies. Fine! Fang stays alive." Sakura stated tonelessly. Then looking at the clock on the nightstand next to one of the beds, Sakura saw that it was 6:32 P.M. "Time sure flies by when you're getting ready to sack a bad guy. If y'all please, I'll be on my way."

"Wait! Sakura, take this. Put it in your ear. We'll be able to communicate with you." Eriol handed Sakura a small earpiece. Sakura took it and put it in her right ear. With that she left. From their room, they could hear Sakura' BMW speed off from the parking lot. 

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The 15 minutes before she arrived at the Brinksbys', Sakura thought the drive there was the longest in her life. Aimless yet meaningful thoughts splashed around in her head.

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Alive?! This is outrageous… then again… what was I thinking. These damn people aren't going to let me prance right in and blow the head off that son of a…

Sakura was ripped away from her thoughts as she slammed on the breaks before a red light. She let out a sigh of frustration. This was going to take some major nerve. 

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One of the many butlers in the Brinksby manor answered the door. As the grand door opened, Sakura stepped in with a light click of her heels. The butler bowed and motioned for her to follow him towards where the Brinksby family was waiting. Sakura politely smiled and followed him. Sakura adjusted her earpiece a little when a familiar voice spoke gently in a tiny voice.

"Everything all right so far?" Touya asked.

"Yes, everything's just fine Touya." Sakura whispered. 

The butler stopped and turned around to see if he heard anything. Sakura just smiled.

"Yes? Is there a problem?" Sakura answered lightly yet with a snooty tone.

"No ma'am." The man turned back and continued to walk.

"Touya, unless there's some dire emergency, I suggest you we don't scrap up this mission even before it has begun."

"Just… be safe. We have a new life to live after this. Remember that."

There was silence of a minute.

"Don't put your hopes in things that are not certain. I'll be careful." Sakura answered.

Just as she whispered her last words to Touya, she found herself in a huge living room. She put on her best smile and entered as the butler bowed and disappeared. Thomas was the first to see her.

"Mother, Father, this is Grace Lang." He smiled and introduced Sakura. An elegantly dressed woman walked up to Sakura with a smile.

"My, my, you are a pretty little thing. Hope my son's been a gentleman to you."

"Oh, most definitely Mrs. Brinksby. Most definitely." Sakura answered with a smile. She glanced at Thomas recalling their last encounter up in his room. She could tell he knew what she was thinking.

"Nice to meet you Miss Lang." Thomas's father greeted smiling. "Pretty indeed. Well, shall we go?"

Mr. Brinksby paired up with his wife and left towards the main entrance Sakura had come through. Thomas took Sakura's hand and led her after his parents. 

"We'll be getting there in separate cars." He commented. Sakura just smiled. Since she had basically achieved what she wanted from him, she figured there was no need to keep playing him on. He would know soon. They would all know soon. "By the way, you look great tonight." He looked her over in her form-fitting black dress. 

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If this weren't a mission… if I were to be 17 again… if I weren't really living this life style… I'd tell you 'thank you' and whisper things in your ear…

Sakura smiled in a look of gratitude.

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…but it's not. And this is a mission. I'm not 17. And I'm definitely not living this life style.

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The limo arrived in front of an incredibly tall building to drop them off. The skyscraper glimmered in the dark velvet-draped night. Thomas got out of the car first and helped Sakura out. She thanked him and the two entered through a set of double doors where two doormen opened each black glass door. Soon they were in an elevator, being taken up to the very top. It would be quite the long ride considering the building had 200 stories. Thomas carefully watched Sakura with a calm and reserved expression.

"You know, all my life, my father's business has put me through many trials that at that usual age, a child would never have to consider. And because of it, I was always good at observing things. People. I'm no psychic but I can tell something's wrong. You're different. And I don't mean that to sweet-talk you into bed. I doubt you're 17. You look it, but you could hardly be. Which leads me to deduce that you aren't Grace Lang." Thomas leaned against the cool wall of the elevator.

Sakura looked up at him with her green eyes, which had turned dark in the course of the last phrase. She stood on the other side of the elevator, leaning onto the cold metal, feeling the tingling sensation on her bare back. Sakura lifted a hand to her take out her earpiece. She turned it off for a second. She knew Touya or whoever on the other line would be panicking and such but that didn't matter. She looked into his eyes.

"Thomas, I know you're smart. You're smarter than your father. What he does everyday, what his job is, that does _not_ have to be what you are. I'm sure you know what these parties are usually about. The secrets that are exchanged behind closed doors. The lies. The plans. Sometimes, even kills. You've turned a blind eye towards what your father does. His job is respectable, if everything he did, or was doing were to be legal. Now listen to me carefully. I have never met a single person, let alone a 17-year-old, who could in part figure out at least a tiny portion of me. That I praise you for. But this is where you are deemed smart or stupid. When this elevator reaches its top floor, give me your invitation, and go back down to the main lobby. From there, call your driver, and go home. This world and the things you have seen, it made you street smart. So this is the time, more than ever, to be smart. You know how to take care of yourself, by all means. You know why I'm sending you home. And I know you know what's going to happen to your father." Sakura's gaze was deep and serious.

"I guess I'll be draining the banks first thing when I get home. My lawyers will do." Thomas replied tonelessly.

Sakura smirked. "Smart. Withdraw the money so it doesn't get flopped over to the Feds. And I'm assuming you'll call your mother and tell her to get out." He nodded. "And your father?"

Thomas paused for a second. "That bastard's going to jail. He's a rich and powerful man. But misuses his power on women." Sakura understood in agreement.

The elevator was soon reaching its destination.

"So, Thomas Brinksby, this is my exit. It's been good knowing you for past two weeks. I know you'll make it out there after high school. And always remember, be smart in what you choose." With that Sakura walked over to him and gave him a kiss on the forehead. He took her shoulder and pulled her to him. He gave her a long kiss on the lips before letting her go. 

"That was my goodbye to Grace." He smiled, a smile that she knew was genuine. 

"She'll remember that till the day she dies." Sakura smiled as Thomas gave her his invitation. Just then the metal doors slid open at the sound of a 'ding'. She stepped out and was facing him directly. She reached into the metal panel and pressed the main floor button. She withdrew back to her position and watched Thomas.

"Hey, Brinksby, always remember. If you're ever relaxing in the Bahamas with all that money, make sure you leave me a room to crash at. You'll never know where life will take you." Sakura winked with a smile. The metal doors slid close and the last thing she saw was Thomas nodding and mouthing out 'Good Luck'. Sakura turned back on the earpiece. When she placed it into her ear, she instantaneously heard Syaoran on the other side.

"What happened? Something go wrong?" He sounded worried.

"No. Everything's fine." Sakura smiled to herself and walked towards where two bodyguards were taking invitations from guests. Light waltz music could be heard drifting from the entrance beyond the bodyguards. "The party's just getting started."

Sourpop1004: OMGOSH! IT'S BEEN LIKE A CENTURY! I AM SO STINKING SORRY I COULD JUST… I'M SORRY! haha… well, this chapter was merely a gateway to the next two chapters which will be the finale. I know, but much action and such in this chapter but these things are necessary. All the action, tension, drama! Next two chapters baby, NEXT TWO CHAPTERS. (God knows how long they'll take, but we're getting' there. ^_^)

First off, I just want to give TREMENDOUS shout-outs to EVERYONE who stuck by TSD all the way. You guys have been so patient and supportive. It's been awesome. So lets just hold on tight for the next two chapters and we'll see what my next work will be. THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE! THE KRZY NICE REVIEWS. THANK YOU!!!

Second off, this chapter was a tad bit shorter than what I intended. And I had different ideas of how to end this chapter, but as I was writing, this ending with Thomas seemed a lot more fitting. I'd say, Thomas would have to be one of my favorite characters, even though he came out for two/three chapters only. I guess it's cause he reminds me a lot of Draco Malfoy. Not the Malfoy in the books, he's just nasty and mean. The version I like of Draco is from fanfics. He's just so awesome. Haha… well, next chapter will be longer. It would have to. And it won't be too watery like this one was. But don't ya think the last convo with Thomas was a nice ending? Hehe…

Third off, the subject of WHEN chapter 19 will be out. I honest to God have no dang clue. I haven't started yet and I'm right smack dab in the middle of school, so this is insane. When I have one of those rare free weekends, I shall write bit by bit. So I'll be emailing. And make sure to check back at my fanfic page every couple weeks or every month to see some updates on the little 'Info about Sourpop1004' thing. I'll be posting some thoughts or just comments on how TSD is comin' along. 

THANK YOU AWESOME FANS. IT SERIOULSY LETS ME KNOW THAT YOU GUYS ARE STILL HERE WITH ME AND TSD, EVEN AFTER SUCH A LONG PERIOD OF TIME. KEEP THE REVIEWS COMIN' AND MUCH LOVE TO YOU ALL. C YA NEXT CHAPTER Y'ALL!!!

~Ja


	19. Romeo

SourPop1004: See you guys at the bottom. Enjoy!

P.S. This one's gonna be a doozy.

P.P.S. Sorry so stinking late…

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The Salsa Dancer

By: MeehMeeh!

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Her black dress fluttered behind each step she took. Handing the tall bodyguard an ivory colored invitation, she graced a small smile on her pink glossy lips. Handsome, beautiful, and elegant party guests strolled across the marble floors. Small cloth covered tables were placed around the room with four beautifully covered chairs stationed at each table. Flickering candles on crystal holders decorated the tables along with Sakura blossoms and white lilies. Soft music drifted through the room to compliment the silent night outside enveloping the tall building.

Sakura absorbed in the magnificent room. She mused at the sight of the Sakura blossoms. Yes, it was like Fang all too much. The man did have a sense of respectable humor in irony and morbid situations. She turned her sights away from the flower arrangements and to a certain man standing at the edge of the room. His dark hair, which surprisingly had no traces of the red highlights anywhere, was messily gelled, and he was sporting his usual shades. The dark glasses went well with his tuxedo. She watched him try in vain to loosen his tie, an uncomfortable frown barely there, expressing how out of place he felt in that ballroom.

Letting out a sigh of defeat, Josh turned back to scanning over the idle party scene. It was then when his eyes locked with green ones. Sakura could tell right away the surprise in his gaze…and perhaps something more.

Before she knew it, he was headed her way. Ladies twirled around the dance floor with the lightest of ease. He nimbly swept through the tangle of dancers. When he stopped in front of her slender figure, a violin ended the song with a lasting peaceful ring. Fairytales and whatnots may have been the perfect setting for the current situation. The world would have faded away and the two lovers would have helplessly embraced. Instead the two only stood staring at one another, hoping the other would say something.

"Been a while…" Sakura pulled out the words slowly.

What she did next even surprised her. She normally would have stayed to taunt and stab his heart with cruel careless words, but she felt a need to let it go just this once. Sakura left Josh one last piercing gaze before disappearing into the crowd.

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The small orchestra began another song and the party guests began to move and swirl with the music. Caught by surprise, Sakura stopped in the middle of ballroom floor. The dancing floor of guests sent her tingling senses back to her skin. That brief moment she lost herself in the pain she felt towards Josh was rudely awoken.

Focus… focus… I'm too deep in this to mess up now…

Hoping she didn't linger too long on the floor like a sitting duck in a pong, she began to move with the flow of the dancers. Luck had it that just then the music changed along with all the dancing partners. As the guests smoothly glided to rotate partners, Sakura expertly cut in and found herself in the arms of a man in a very expensive suit. A gangly tall blonde in her 40s pouted and threw her nose in the air when she found herself without a partner. She gave a glare at Sakura, who didn't really give a damn, and walked away to find herself a martini.

Sakura didn't bother looking at who she was dancing with. She floated along with the party guests and tried to quickly scan the room for guards and such without being too obvious. It was then she heard it.

"Cereza…"

Sakura's head snapped to face the man she was dancing with. His face threw her heart against her ribcage with such force she skipped a breath. The all too familiar face carried a light smile, not a smile of greeting but rather a smile of malice and pride. She couldn't tear her eyes from his face. The old face had formed new lines around the eyes and mouth. His piercing eyes twinkled and flickered under the glow of the chandeliers.

"I'd be surprised as well…" His lips formed to say.

Sakura's silence made him chuckle. Sakura's shaken heart began to tremble with rage.

"I know why you came tonight. To kill me… but are you sure you want to do that?" His voice drew out the words.

Sakura's eyes were turning dangerously dark.

"I've made the mistake of doubting you but you've proven to me you are worthy to be not only an accomplice… but a _partner_."

Sakura's speechless mind found its voice.

"_Partner_?" The words hissed out with venom from between her clenched teeth in such a way that it felt as if she was drawing that invisible poison from her own heart. "You honestly think… that I'd want to ever see your shamefully repulsive face ever again… let alone be your _partner_ in a business that I mistakenly took part in? Where I wasted my life doing your pathetic and destructive biddings? Where I lived believing nothing but lies? That you could possibly be my 'father' when you are the _sole damned reason_ why my REAL father is dead? You, honest to God's Truth, believe that I would even THINK about working with a low life scum like you? Think again, you dirty old bastard. I'd _die_ before I'd ever let you take another step on this earth. And oh be sure of it. I'll make _sure_ not a single hair on your head escapes from the hell I'm sending you to. I'll make sure of it… you murderous son of a bitch…"

(A note to all readers: There's a tiny bit of parallelism here with I believe chapter… 6 or 7 when Sakura fakes her speech with Josh… just wanted to note. PS. My apologies for the swearing… you'd be cussing too if you were Sakura right now…hehe… moving on…)

Fang's face turned pale and cold. His smile changed instantly with a placid look.

"With that attitude, you'll never save Agent Li's precious Jessie Parker. Now will you?"

Sakura and Fang, all the while, were continuing to dance around with the mellow music. The guests were all oblivious to this conversation the two were having. Sakura only silently listened.

"And might I remind you that it was those 'biddings' that made you _strong? Powerful? Invincible?_ You wouldn't have lived this long if it weren't for your blood instincts? The instincts _I _taught you? You understand that? Ooh… yes, I know you do… because it kills you inside that a 'dirty old bastard' like me taught you to _survive _in this world. (a/n: next, most famous over used lines…) Kinomoto, understand… there is no good and evil, only POWER. And that power… is what I gave to you… willingly… don't ever forget that..." Fang finished with an angry huff. His patients were being tried endlessly tonight. And perhaps for the last time.

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Sakura's stomach was overpowered with sickness. Her head felt light and airy. What the man in front of her had just said struck a nerve. _Hard_. The sickness wasn't the physical sign of distress, rather a sign of her existence crumbling inside her hard hollow shell. If self-doubt was a rarity within her, now was definitely a rarity. She couldn't understand why those words had such an effect on her, but she willed all she had to overcome it. Silence was all she could say.

"Silence… that's a good sign?" Fang offered.

His angry huff of a face changed into its usual malicious one. A sharp-edged smirk curved at the corner of his lips. He knew very well he was far from victory, but he couldn't help but smile at the notion that he effectively threw a hard punch this early in the game.

Sakura hoped and wished the song would end. She couldn't stand this man's arms around her much longer. She had imagined this encounter for a while now, but she never expected to be 'this'. 'This'… one thing that she never was… _weak_. She was weak. She was weak and helpless. From all the times she had a chance to be weak, it had to be this very moment. The one moment that it was _not _ok to be weak. Weakness. What a thought?

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"Syaoran, what's happening? Let me listen! Who's she talking to?" Touya persisted for the past fifteen minutes, but Syaoran wouldn't budge. He was holding the headphones to his ears and intently listening.

Sakura… say something… why are you so quiet?… something's wrong, isn't it?

A worried look streaked his face. Why was he sitting there listening to this when he knew he should be there with her?

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The orchestra ended its song and the guests erupted in applause. Chatter and smiles floated across the dance floor in simple pleasantries.

Sakura stepped away from the arms that were holding her.

Find strength… even if it's the last time…

Fang was taken back by the sudden transformation in Sakura's eyes. The weak, translucent eyes were darkened with rage in a matter of moments. He took a step back to fully observe the slender figure that had once been a small little girl with tear-stained cheeks and bloodied hands.

"You always did have a weird effect on me Papito…" Sakura stated amused. Unnoticeably, she felt the small gun on her left thigh. Syaoran's commands echoed in her mind. She couldn't kill this loathsome dog… but he never said anything about pain. A smile crept over her lips. Death and pain were two very different things. Very different… but the two made a lovely pair.

"You smile as if nothing is wrong Cereza." Fang reminded.

Before Sakura could answer, Fang completely stepped away from where she was standing. The party guests had moved away form the center of the room to form a circle around her and Fang.

Fang turned towards his guests as they fell silent.

"Thank you all for coming tonight. I hope you all have been enjoying yourselves." The audience politely clapped. "As for now, I'd like to introduce someone to you." The people's eyes fell all on Sakura who stood standing, her smile vanished, not being amused at all. Fang began to steadily stroll around Sakura as he spoke to the crowd. "She, ladies and gentlemen, is my daughter." He noticed the look of slight confusion. He gave a soft chuckle. "Obviously not by blood but I think Sakura and I have a stronger bond than blood. You all may think there is no such thing, however she and I have found it."

The color in Sakura's rosy cheeks started to drain. Her eyes followed Fang's form around her with such concentration she could have killed him solely with her precision.

"She was only ten when her father and brother were visiting Colombia on some business. And I'm sure all you understand the brutal warring times in Colombia at the time with terrorist groups and all."

Sakura's eyes narrowed dangerously, anticipating the next words that would escape Fang's lips.

"Unfortunately, they were caught in a cross-fire and were killed. Their blood… running to sides of the dirt road… mingling with the mud… their dead bodies soaked with red…"

Sakura's pale hands began to tremble and formed into fists. Her knuckles turned white with anger.

The polite smiles that once were upon the guests' lips vanished and were replaced with either thin lines of slight frowns.

"Fortunately, the heavens had it set that I would come across the poor girl. I took her home and made her as my own." Fang glanced around the room at his guests. "But now… at an age where independence is certain and an obligation… she comes back to me…" He turned around to face Sakura. Silence. He turned back to the guests. "… not to greet me with gratitude… nor love… instead…" He turned back around once more from where he was standing and in a low voice declares. "… she comes to kill me."

The crowd wasn't expecting an answer such as this. They all looked from Fang to Sakura, not quite comprehending what their party host had just said.

"So…" Fang walked towards Sakura without fear. "…what are you going to do? Are you going to carry out your plans and murder me like how I murdered you father?"

The guests gasped and broke out in whispers and disbelief. Sakura couldn't believe the arrogant boldness of the man she had at one point _respected_. What was he playing at? Was he trying to get her to put a bullet through his head _on purpose_?

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Syaoran took off his headphones and got up from the chair he was sitting in. He looked around and found Eriol talking to an agent.

"Eriol, what ever happened to that copy of the hard-drive of the laptop? Did you ever get around to cracking it with the Scrambler?"

"Ages ago. I forgot to mention, but I've got it done already. It's on my laptop. Syaoran, you know I wouldn't have let Sakura go tonight by herself if I hadn't had some sort of back up. And with the Vault pretty much safe in our hands, it's only up to Sakura now not to get killed." Eriol answered with a small assured grin.

"Good…" Syaoran was deeply in thought, contemplating on what to do next.

"What are you thinking?" Touya got up from where he was and walked over to Syaoran and tried to search in his eyes what he was going to do.

"When I was listening… things have turned a sharp turn. I don't know what Fang's playing at but whatever it is, I think Sakura's going to need help." Syaoran looked at Touya and Eriol with a worried face. "I shouldn't have let her go…"

"We'll go with you." Eriol and Touya both volunteered.

"No." Syaoran turned to look at Touya. "I want you to locate any CIA agents in New York right now, call for back up from the NYPD, and when that's been assembled, send a small team to D.C. to secure the vault. Make sure none of our calls or plans are intercepted. We can't be found out now." Syaoran turned to Eriol. "I want you to find out if Nade is still in Moscow. I know she already came through with her contact there, but find out why she's so delayed in coming back. And then call Tomoyo. I know she wasn't exactly helpful but it's all or nothing now. Contact her, and find out what's going on at base. Try to assemble a team from LA to fly in as quickly as possible. Got it?"

The two silently nodded and quickly got to work. Syaoran went to one of the suitcases and began loading himself with guns. His mind was racing and his heart was pumping wildly. He was about to burst out of the hotel room when Eriol stopped him.

"Hey, you're gonna need a suit. They're gonna figure something's wrong when you show up in jeans."

Syaroan's mind was so ahead of himself he didn't even realize until Eriol pointed out his mistake.

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The elegant ballroom was deathly silent. Sakura's body was boiling and her cheeks were pushing color again to the surface. Her face turned a slight shade of pink as Fang began walking around her again, like how a predator stalked its prey.

Fang gave a long look into her emerald eyes before turning to a guard near the doors.

"You, bring Parker in here now." He ordered.

Two guards left their posts and disappeared into another set of double doors. For a while, it felt like an eternity in silence. So much tension and fear was in the room it felt like electricity tingling up everyone's spines.

"Now, my dear party guests, I suggest you all find your seats around the tables and we'll soon have a show for you." Fang's face flashed with sick humor. His lips were curled up into an even more delighted smirk.

Everyone, despite the confusing order of events, found empty seats. At this point, they didn't care if they were sitting with their own friends or not. They all just stared speechless at how the evening's events were swerving out of control.

The room cleared even further out and the center of the dance floor was completely deserted with only Sakura standing in the center. Fang paced around on the edge of the circle like a ringmaster, ready to put on the greatest show of the century.

It was deathly silent until beautiful double-doors opened at the far edge of the room. The guards emerged with a young handsome woman. The guests all admired the woman's clean features. Long dirty-blonde hair, wavy in just the write places.

Sakura's eyes darted to Jessie. The woman looked tired, but surprisingly clean.

Jessie's once clear ocean blue eyes were now dark and hard with pain. (I don't think I ever gave Jessie an eye color… oh well, blue it is.) She was dressed in a simple black silk dress. How like Fang to at least keep his hostages presentable during a party. Sakura broke from her evaluation when Fang spoke up.

"This is what you came for, isn't it?" He asked almost laughingly.

Sakura would have swelled with pride if someone referred to her as if she were an object, but when she looked over at Jessie, Jessie just hung there with shaded eyes. Her body was weak and limp, barely standing with the support of the two guards. Her skin was ghostly white from malnutrition and her arms and legs hung loosely. Sakura turned her attention back to Fang.

"Let her go you sick bastard." Sakura calmly spoke with venom.

"Now, I can't just _let her go._ My guests expect entertainment." The corners of his lips stretched even more into a malicious smile, if that was possible.

Sakura stood expectantly, running out of patience.

"So, what I thought was… a little game perhaps…" Fang spoke slowly.

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Syaoran had taken any car he could find and raced to the party. He had discarded his car somewhere in a back alley of a street and was now frantically trying to find an elevator as he tried to tie his tie. His hair was tussled with fury, his suit was a bit wrinkled but still presentable, and his eyes focused on the decreasing red numbers as the elevator slowly descended.

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"…a game with a wager. A bet. To make things a little more exciting." He continued, drawing on every ounce of patience Sakura had. "Hmm… now we need a volunteer…" Fang scanned the room thoughtfully, looking for a face that stood out.

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When Syaoran reached the floor the party was on, he expected to fight his way through the bouncers but was surprised when there were none. He quietly slipped in and sat down in a nearest empty seat, seeing that everyone was quiet and sitting. His amber eyes quickly found Sakura when they also found a man's malicious pair.

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Fang stared for a second before realizing whom it was. His expression wasn't merely a smug grin anymore, but rather a look of childish delight a small toddler had as if Christmas had come early.

"Ah… _perfect_."

Sakura followed Fang's gaze to a man sitting in the back of the room. Her eyes widened.

No… no… why did you come? WHY?! YOU FOOLISH JERK! No… leave now… before anything bad happens…

Sakura's heart struck with pain. But she wasn't prepared for the pain that would follow next.

"Mr. Syaoran Li, thank you for volunteering for the game! Come up…" Fang announced with a warming welcome.

Syaoran was thrown into chaos as soon as he had stepped into the party. Things were already looking pretty bad. He slowly got up and walked towards where Sakura was.

Everyone watched him pass by. The women would have instantly erupted into whispers of the handsome stranger but no such thing happened, given the current situation.

Fang looked at Sakura then to Syaoran, who had stopped at the edge of the circle. Syaoran's soulful eyes looked worriedly towards Sakura.

"Tonight, we will try to assimilate the olden times of the coliseums in ancient civilizations. That was where they punished the unlawful, the dirty, the sinners... Using lions and deadly beasts and such. However, we are not so barbaric in our pleasures."

The guests listened intently.

"Instead, we will simply do as the gladiators did. A fight to the death. Now, to all whom are wondering how such a slender woman such as Miss Kinomoto could possibly defend herself against Mr. Li, no worries. They are both highly trained agents quite capable of killing." Fang simply replied. "Now, the wager." He turned to Jessie. "Miss Parker right over there. Who ever wins will release her. However, the game will only end when one falls… permanently." Fang's eyes flashed with animosity.

The crowd gasped. Fang chuckled. Everyone's faces filled with confusion.

"You see… there's a much more interesting side to this story. Well, how shall I put this short, since I wish to commence with the game?" Fang chuckled a little more. "Hmmm… oh yes. Well, we'll start here."

Jessie tried her best to look up with all her strength.

"You all may not know, but Miss Parker here is conveniently engaged to Mr. Li. But after meeting Miss Kinomoto, I believe he has fallen _in love_ with her. A tad cliché, no? So, the story goes, kill the one you love to save the one you did love, or kill yourself to save both loves? Oh what tangled webs we all weave…"

By this time, some of the guests were so horrified and disgusted they bolted up. They were ready to leave when dozens of bodyguards appeared from nowhere and blocked all entrances. Guards and guards with guns lined the entire room.

"No one is going anywhere." Fang stated coldly.

"What if I choose not to fight?" Syaoran asked boldly.

"Then they all die." He gestured towards the many guests who looked terrified.

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Eriol and Touya were both on separate phones frantically trying to gather a team from the nearest sources. The other agents were rapidly looking through bags to organize all the weapons they had and some were also on cell phones and computers trying to reach every contact they possibly knew.

At that exact sudden moment, for a split second, Touya felt something streak through his heart. Maybe it was a brotherly intuition, but he felt his sister's doubts, worries, hatred, and _pain_. He gasped and looked dazed for a little while. Everyone in the room turned to him with concerned eyes, but Touya only waved them off saying he was quite fine. Deep inside, he prayed that Sakura would be all right.

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The last couple of months had been intense yet manageable. From bombs and guns to betrayal and unexpected love, Sakura had seen it all. Felt it all. Lived through it all. But the situation before her was beginning to feel impossibly overwhelming. Her mouth ran dry ages ago, she felt a new sensation of nausea overtake her body, her boldness had vanished as quickly as it had appeared, and her mind didn't know what to think anymore. Her heart was either pounding so furiously that it was numb or it wasn't beating at all. And most of all, she looked into Syaoran's soulful eyes with such pain that she felt like she could bleed despite the fact that she had no mortal wounds. But she knew that these kinds of wounds ran so much deeper than the slicing of flesh. It ran all the way to her soul.

Fang waved his hand and instantly the two guards dragged Jessie to an empty seat and sat her tired body down. He made sure that between Syaoran and Sakura, there would be the most amount of space possible offered to the two for the games that would soon proceed.

"Now, let's get this game started shall we?" Fang snapped and two different guards each brought to him a large wooden box. Fang opened one of them to reveal various weapons: swords, daggers, sais, and etc. "Choose your weapons…"

Sakura frowned with anger. "Not needed…" She briskly replied. Syaoran simply nodded.

"Alright… whatever you say…" Fang shut the box and had the guards put them away. He smiled and sat down in an empty seat. A few seconds passed with everyone in awkward silence. Then came the most deadly word. "…Begin…"

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"Are we set with assembling teams?" Touya asked everyone in the room. They all nodded.

"We're leaving as soon as back up arrives." Eriol stated. He checked his watch. "I'd say within the next 3 hours."

Touya cringed.

"I know… that's not a lot of time but that's the best we can do…" Eriol's eyes showed sympathy. (I understand that y'all thinkin' I'm crazy saying 3 hours to fly across the country… well, FYI, I've recently read Angels & Demons by Dan Brown [AWESOME BOOK by the way!] and I guess they have these planes that can like go from NY to Switzerland in like 20 – 30 minutes or something… not quite sure on numbers but that's pretty friggin' fast… so don't question me! you're in SourPop Land. ALL is possible here…)

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Jessie moved away stray strands of golden hair from her dark watery eyes with tired hands. She looked up, leaning hazardously on the finely covered table for support. Tears began to run from her eyes as she watched the two figures stand in silence, staring, trembling… aching with sorrow. She had always thought Sakura as an adversary to be despised and hated. She argued that Sakura stole her fiancé. But at that moment, such thoughts were futile. Despite all grudges that gripped her heart prior to this 'game', Jessie had gradually at one point of this experience let Syaoran go. Her heart pained and cried for him… and for Sakura as well.

He shouldn't have to go through this with someone he loves… even if that 'someone' is not me.

Sakura's body had dropped temperature considerably. She couldn't believe what was happening. Confusion and a screaming heart shook her soul. And yet ironically… If this were happening a couple months before, she would have been standing there with a proud malicious smile. A smile to rival Fang's. She would have finished the man in front of her with such amusement, but it was different now. Completely different. She was changed forever after she met Li Syaoran.

She looked into Syaoran's flickering amber eyes. Looking for some sort of answer, she expectantly stood motionless.

"…Begin… or else some bodies start dropping…" Fang's deep voice rang through the large ballroom. The guests cowered further into their seats.

Syaoran and Sakura looked at each other with understanding.

…for the cause greater than our own…

Sakura got into her defensive position as well as Syaoran. The seconds passed slowly. Sakura took the first move. Fang smiled as the fight began.

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"I have an uneasy feeling about this… something's wrong… really wrong…" Touya muttered to himself. He paced the room with his brows firmly stitched together.

A hand came and rested on Touya's back. He looked up to find Eriol.

"I know… but we have to wait… that's all we can do for now…" Eriol's eyes were concerned as well.

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Sakura threw a fierce punch. Syaoran blocked with ease. She threw up a hard kick to his side. He blocked and stepped back. She stopped to take a breath. They'd been at it for nearly an hour now, not really doing too much damage. They just exchanged blows that could be easily blocked.

"I know that's not your full potential… don't make me threaten you again…" Fang lazily replied, satisfied his threats were working.

The guests watched, mesmerized, at the graceful yet powerful motions of the two fighters. The fact that it was their lives that was fueling this hostility never fully reached their heads. They were caught deeply within the physical battle in front of them to realize.

Anger surged within Sakura. She wanted to hit, rip, and tear Fang to pieces. But instead, she was fighting the one man that she had learned to trust.

…Syaoran…

Sakura blocked a punch Syaoran threw. A purple bruise would soon form.

…I'm sorry…

She ducted another succession of punches.

…I'm so sorry… for everything…

She moved her body with agility as she dodged each assault.

…I was too foolish to realize… but it doesn't matter… I'll make sure you live… all you did was try to save the lives of innocents… even my own bitter one…

Finding a split second of breath, the role reversed. It was now Sakura driving with force. She threw a round house kick, a punch, and sidekick in rapid sequence.

… Syaoran… I'll make sure you and Jessie leave tonight… no matter what…

Syaoran blocked with concentration. The rhythm and flow of their bodies moving were more of a reflex rather than a thought of process.

… do you remember…on the plane…

"When this all ends, what…do you think will happen…to me?" She asked timidly.

"I don't know. Even though you're helping us, I'm pretty sure that they'll still come up with millions of offenses. But I guarantee you that your sentence will be lighter." He looked at her sadly for the first time. She always seemed so strong and unshaken by the law, but now here she was asking of what was to come of her.

Right…I'll be stuck behind bars for the rest of my life if I don't get the death penalty. Damn… life sucks… I've got only two ways to go. Die or disappear… death sounds far easier than the latter…

Sakura got up and excused herself to the bathroom. She walked down the tight aisles and waited for the occupied sign to turn green.

… and death… would be the only option tonight…

Gathering her courage, Sakura's eyes were now burning with determination. She broke out of the child's play she and Syaoran had been playing for the last hour or so. Time had slowly inched, nevertheless they had inched on. Sakura realized they'd been at this for two hours now. She had had enough. It was time for closure. One of them would die tonight and no matter who it was, the greater torment and aggravation on their mental states would end as well.

Syaoran being off guard by the sudden change of pace, took a full blow of a punch. The impact reverberated through his jaws and down his whole body. He stumbled back a few steps. Not understanding the change in tactics, he looked at Sakura's face. They were different. They had somehow regressed back to when he had first met her. Her eyes were alive with fire and anger. Her lips were curved into a menacing smirk. Whatever she was thinking, he couldn't grasp it.

Sakura looked to one of the guards. "You! I want a weapon. Bring me the box." She demanded with authority. The guard looked at Fang for a few seconds before Fang nodded and the guard returned with Sakura had asked for.

From the array of weapons, Sakura pulled out a dagger. The silvery metal was cold and heavy in her right hand. The gentle glow of the chandeliers up above reflected light off the blade with such malice that the innocent shimmer of light seemed to be transformed into a vicious monster dancing on the dagger. She gripped with tight knuckles.

Turning quickly towards Syaoran, she gracefully strode across that gap between her and him. The scene was almost morbidly elegant. Her dress fluttering behind her as she glided across the floor.

Syaoran would have hesitated to move but he understood that he would be the sacrifice that night. His energy had been drained to the last drop from the continuous fight in the last two hours. He knew it was time to give up himself for them both… especially _her_.

Sakura stood inches away from Syaoran, staring into his eyes. Moments later, he slowly began to kneel in front of her, but her eyes didn't move, didn't change, didn't care. They were cold and hard.

Silence fell over the room. Fang leaned towards the two over his table like the rest of the room. Jessie's silent tears ran down her pale cheeks. And from the far corner in the shadows, Josh watched with his dark shades hiding his eyes.

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SourPop1004: Hello!!! As always… I AM SO STINKIN LATE! I AM SOOOOOOO SORRY!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHH………gomen…gomen…I am extremely sorry for the lateness… --; I thought once summer started, I'd have loads of free time to write and such… but I was SO WRONG!!! Never been so wrong… sigh… I'm so occupied with everything that's going on… I barely find time to write… sadly to say, I will warn you… Ch.20's gonna take a whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiile… School's a month away… but I'm basically literally packed this entire August day-to-day, so I won't get much writing done. Major apologies for that… but Anyway, I'd like to discuss a little about this chapter.

All I can say is… I SERIOUSLY did NOT intend the situation to veer this way. It was so completely randomly thought of. It actually went through lots and lots of edits before it arrived here… but I love it… hope you guys liked it too. Apologies (again) for the cliffy. I had to break it off somewhere. Also, I hope you guys noticed this chapter was longer than the usual ones I write… if you didn't… well ok… haha…

Anyway, as always, I want to THANK EVERYONE who stuck by with TSD as it slowly draws to an end. You guys have no idea how happy it makes me that there are still fans that are willing to wait for this story despite the loooooooooooooooong wait. You guys are truly patient and kind. Thank you so much. TSD would have NEVER come this far without ya'll loving support. (I won't get too mushy cause this isn't the last chapter… hehe…)

Emails are always welcome at

Suggestions/comments/questions/predictions… say the word and I'll reply. THANK YOU ALL SOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!! See you guys next chapter!

…and remember to review!!!

Ja ne.

PS. sorry for the ugly format. stupid screwed up my format so i had to do these O's....


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